Agenda item

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s updated work plan for the municipal year 2012/13. As part of this agenda item they are also asked to consider a number of briefing notes in relation to proposed scrutiny topics and to make a decision as to which, if any, of these topics they would like to progress to review during this municipal year. Officers and key health partners will be in attendance at the meeting to answer any questions that Members might have.

Members considered a report which outlined the Committee’s work plan for 2012-13 and a set of briefing notes on scrutiny topics that were proposed at the Scrutiny Work Planning Event which was held on 2 May 2012.

Proposed briefing notes were considered which looked at the following areas;

·        Personalisation

·        Community Mental Health Services in Care of Adolescents (particularly boys)

·        Access to talking therapies

·        Mental Health Day Services for Older People

In relation to the Briefing Note on Personalisation, Some Members felt that a review needed to be conducted because they felt that the process for accessing Council services was too prescriptive, and that the process needed to reflect the experiences of service users.

Members decided that work on a review should be undertaken by a Task Group made up of Councillors Jeffries, Cuthbertson and a nominee from the Conservative group. It was suggested that due to a full work plan, that scoping work to identify a focus for the review could take place later this year with the actual review commencing early in 2013 (or earlier if the ongoing End of Life Care Review has been completed).

Regarding the topic on Community Mental Health Services in Care of Adolescents, some Members felt that a review should focus on the issue of self harm. It was agreed that some initial scoping work should take place to establish the best focus for a fairly short scrutiny review that would be likely to commence in the New Year. The Scrutiny Officer agreed to e-mail the Committee for volunteers to sit on a Task Group to undertake both the scoping work and the review.

In response to the Briefing Note on Access to Talking Therapies, Members questioned whether service users and service user groups would be involved in future work on reducing waiting times. A representative from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that service user groups would be involved in future work, as their expertise would be welcomed.

A representative from York Mental Health Forum stated that as funding for Improving Access to Psychological Therapy Services (IAPT) still remained low and demand continued to be high, that an  item on IAPT be added to the Committee’s work plan. Members agreed that a regular report be presented on issues around IAPT, but suggested that it be scheduled in at a later date due to the heavy workload for the Committee. Members decided not to progress this topic to review but agreed to exercise their overview role and have regular update reports in relation to this.

A representative from Age UK spoke regarding the proposed topic on Mental Health Day Services for Older People. She felt that it was crucial for the topic to be examined by the Committee due to continuing cuts and an increased demand for the services offered by them. She also felt that the topic was particularly relevant for future generations. On consideration of this topic Members decided not to progress it to review at the moment due to their already heavy workload.

Discussions between Members and Officers took place in regards to future reports for consideration and when these could be timetabled in the work plan. The Scrutiny Officer highlighted two current national consultations namely;

·        National Consultation on Local Authority Health Scrutiny

·        National Consultation on the National Mandate on NHS Commissioning

The Committee agreed to schedule these into the Committee’s work plan for September in order to meet the deadlines for comments.

It was suggested that the new Director of Public Health be invited to attend the Committee’s September meeting to introduce himself and discuss his forthcoming challenges and priorities.

Further to this it was agreed that the attendance of NHS North Yorkshire and York and the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and the update report on changes to the Urgent Care Unit at York Hospital be moved to the Committee’s October meeting.

RESOLVED:      (i)      That the work plan and briefing notes be noted.               

                          (ii)        That a Task Group composed of Councillors Cuthbertson, Jeffries and a nominee from the Conservative group be formed to undertake the work on the agreed review around Personalisation.

                          (iii)       That a Task Group be formed (membership to be confirmed) to undertake the work on the agreed review around Community Mental Health Services in Care of Adolescents (particularly boys).

                         (iv)        That two items be added to the Committee’s work plan (dates to be confirmed) to consider the scoping work and potential remits suggested by the two Task Groups above

                        (v)         That the following items be added to the Committee’s work plan;

·        September 2012 - A report on the National Consultation on Local Authority Health Scrutiny.

·        September 2012 - A report on the National Consultation on the National Mandate on NHS Commissioning.

·        October 2012 - An update report on the work of the regional Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny in relation to the provision of children’s cardiac surgery and adult cardiology services.

·        October 2012 - The attendance of the new Director of Public Health

·        October 2012 - The attendance of NHS North Yorkshire and York and the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (moved from September 2012)

·        October 2012 – An update report on the changes to the Urgent Care Unit at York Hospital (moved from September 2012).

·        Date to be confirmed - An update report on issues around Improving Access to Talking Therapies.

REASON:                     In order to keep the Committee’s work plan up to date.¹