Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting, by switching their camera and microphone off, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer, by 12 Noon the day before the meeting, to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2020.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2020, be confirmed as a correct record.

The Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health to give the attached presentation.

The Committee received a presentation on Care Homes in Sefton from the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health that outlined the following:

·       Background

·       Support to Care Homes

·       Future Plans

It was considered that the work undertaken with Care Homes by the Council was a good example of integrated working with partner organisations.

A Member of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issue:

·       Visits by friends/relatives to residents of Care Homes during the Covid-19 pandemic and the mitigation of risks.

RESOLVED:

That the presentation on Care Homes in Sefton be noted and Deborah Butcher be thanked for her informative presentation.

Joint report of NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Committee considered the joint update report of the NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and the NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group, providing an update about the work of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The report outlined details of the following:

·       Community based Covid-19 vaccination programme

·       Medicines management team highlighted in national awards

·       Changing commissioning landscape

·       Talking Matters Sefton

·       Re-procurement of community services draws to a close

·       Governing Body meetings

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer, and Suzanne Lynch, Head of Medicines Management, NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG, were in attendance to present the update report to the Committee, to highlight aspects of it, particularly in relation to the community based Covid-19 vaccination programme, and to respond to questions put by Members of the Committee.

Trish Armstrong-Child, Chief Executive, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, was also in attendance to outline the Shaping Care Together Programme. The intention was to report further to a future meeting.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       Whether the latest restrictions in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic would affect consultation on the Shaping Care Programme.

·       Decisions made in relation to services at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Clarification was sought regarding the future of the Hightown Village Surgery GP contract, together with a proposal for the CCGs to organise a meeting between interested parties, to include the pharmacist and Ward Councillors. A request was also made for Ward Councillors of neighbouring Wards to be kept advised of any future developments.

·       Possible venues to be used in the Borough for the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

·       How best to relay information to residents regarding the vaccination programme.

·       Clarification regarding the figures for the first of the vaccination programme in Sefton.

·       The process to be followed in the event that a resident invited for immunisation was unable to attend the appointment allocated. Clarification would be sought and provided.

·       How would people not registered with GPs, such as the homeless, receive an invitation for immunisation? Clarification would be sought and provided.

·       Logistical difficulties regarding the use of volunteers for the vaccination programme.

RESOLVED:      That

(1)      the update report submitted by the Clinical Commissioning Groups, together with the information provided at the meeting, be received;

(2)      the Chief Officer, NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Southport and Formby Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group, be requested to:

          (a)      organise a meeting of interested parties regarding the future of the Hightown Village Surgery GP contract, to include the    pharmacist and Ward Councillors; Ward           Councillors of          neighbouring Wards to be kept           advised of any future          developments;

(b)      provide information on the following to the Senior Democratic Services Officer for circulation to Members of the Committee:

            (i)        the process to be followed in the event that a resident                             invited for immunisation was unable to attend the              appointment allocated; and

(ii)       how people not registered with GPs, such as the                          homeless, would receive an invitation for immunisation.

Joint report of NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Committee considered the joint report of NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), that provided data on key performance areas, together with responses for the Friends and Family Test for both Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust and Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Information on the monitoring of the7-day GP extended access scheme for both CCGs was included within the data.

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer, NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG, and Trish Armstrong-Child, Chief Executive, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, were in attendance to present the report to the Committee and to respond to questions put by Members of the Committee.

Data on the monitoring of the 7-day GP extended access scheme was awaited.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       Data on strokes and Transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust.

·       Cancer 62 day – screenings. Further information could be obtained.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the information on Health Provider Performance be noted; and

(2)      the Chief Officer of the Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups be requested to provide information on Cancer 62 day – screenings to the Senior Democratic Services Officer for circulation to Members of the Committee.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer submitting the most recent update reports from the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care, and the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing, whose portfolios fell within the remit of the Committee. Councillors Cummins and Moncur were present at the meeting to respond to any questions or issues.

Margaret Jones, Director of Public Health, reported on the latest figures in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Member of the Committee raised matters on the following issue:

·       Trends in attendance at centres for asymptomatic testing.

RESOLVED:

That the update reports from the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care and the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing be noted.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

Further to Minute No. 18 of 13 October 2020, the Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer advising of the decision of the Cabinet at its meeting held on 3 December 2020, in approving the Executive/Scrutiny Protocol for use in Sefton.

The report indicated that the development of an Executive/Scrutiny Protocol should improve relations between the Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Members and contribute towards more effective scrutiny in Sefton. In addition, the Protocol could be utilised as a training tool, particularly for newly elected Members, as it provided an overview of how scrutiny works in Sefton and there were links within the Protocol to other useful documents.

RESOLVED:

That the decision of the Cabinet in approving the Executive/Scrutiny Protocol for use in Sefton be noted and welcomed.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer reviewing the Committee’s Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2020/21; reporting on progress of the Mental Health Issues Working Group; identifying any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the latest Key Decision Forward Plan; receiving an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and noting the update from Healthwatch Sefton.

The Work Programme for 2020/21 was set out at Appendix A to the report, to be considered, along with any additional items to be included and agreed.

There were two Decisions within the latest Key Decision Forward Plan, attached to the report at Appendix B, that fell under this Committee’s remit, and the Committee was invited to consider items for pre-scrutiny.

The report outlined recent activity undertaken by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and set out an update on recent activities undertaken by Healthwatch Sefton, as attached to the report at Appendix C.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Work Programme for 2020/21, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be agreed;

(2)      the progress made by the Mental Health Issues Working Group be noted;

(3)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 January – 30 April 2021, be noted;

(4)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted; and

(5)      the recent activities undertaken by Healthwatch Sefton, as outlined in Appendix C to the report, be noted.