Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Brodie-Browne and his Substitute Councillor Pugh; Councillor Irving; Councillor Jones and his Substitute Councillor Riley; and Councillor Myers and his Substitute Councillor Brennan.

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 room, including from the public gallery, 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 to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, 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 7 September 2021.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2021, be confirmed as a correct record.

Ann Marr, Chief Executive; and Anne-Marie Stretch, Managing Director, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, to attend to give a presentation.

A report detailing the latest Care Quality Commission Improvement Plan Report received by the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust Quality & Safety Committee (QSC) in June 2021, is attached for information.

The Committee considered a report detailing the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) Improvement Plan Report received by the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust Quality & Safety Committee in June 2021, for information.

Ann Marr, Chief Executive; and Anne-Marie Stretch, Managing Director, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, attended to give a presentation that outlined information on the following:

·       The Agreement for Long Term Collaboration (ALTC) between St. Helens and Knowsley (STHK) Hospitals NHS Trust, Southport and Ormskirk (S&O) Hospital NHS Trust, and NHS England/Improvement, including Governance of the ALTC and Priorities;

·       The Shaping Care Together (SCT) Programme; and

·       An Update on the CQC Unannounced Inspection in

March 2021, including Key Findings, Areas for Improvement and Progress & Improvements.

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

·       The amount of work required by executive members of the Board at S&O and the future of non-executive members at S&O.

·       Resources available for staff support across sites.

·       If ALTCs were a common approach and the benefits to STHK.

·       Whether staff were working across all sites.

·       Assurances that the ALTC would assist in retaining services.

·       Transport from the patient perspective.

·       Compassionate staff.

·       How to tackle the issue of fragile services.

·       The sustainability of fragile services.

·       Patient consultation.

·       The continuity of established pathways for services.

·       Recruitment and training of staff at S&O.

·       The stability of maternity services at Ormskirk Hospital.

·       The potential for recruitment from local universities.

RESOLVED:

That the report and presentation be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health on the work of the Safeguarding Adults Board and inviting comment from Members of the Committee.

The report set out the requirements of the Care Act 2014 for adult safeguarding; strategic developments in that Sefton had a newly established Safeguarding Adults Board, although Sefton Adult Social Care remained a member of the Merseyside Safeguarding Adults Board; operational safeguarding and Section 42 Enquiries; and performance and processes for concerns raised during the pandemic. The report concluded that performance would be reported to the Committee on a regular basis.

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

·       Concerns that reporting of safeguarding issues decreased during the pandemic.

·       Mitigations against risk factors.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

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

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

·       Booster programme for COVID-19 jabs begins;

·       annual flu vaccination;

·       GPs ask for support as they work through their busiest period;

·       Survey asks patients for their experience accessing services since the start of the pandemic;

·       Sefton mental health review;

·       Sefton residents to be part of ground-breaking cancer trial;

·       Blood tube disruption;

·       Improving eye care services;

·       ‘Big Chat’ annual reviews; and

·       Governing Body meetings.

Martin McDowell, Deputy Chief Officer for the Sefton CCGs, attended the meeting to present the update report and to respond to questions raised by Members of the Committee.

A verbal update was provided on Hightown Village GP Surgery in that the existing provider had asked to be released from the contract, together with an update on the Roe Lane Surgery, Southport and how services could be delivered in the area.

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

·       The booster vaccination against Covid-19, including encouraging the public to take it up, the drug administered, capacity, and contact made with individuals regarding its uptake.

RESOLVED:

That the update report submitted by the Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups, be received.

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 (CCG) and NHS Southport and Formby 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.

Martin McDowell, Deputy Chief Officer for the Sefton CCGs, attended the meeting to present the data and to respond to questions raised by Members of the Committee.

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

·       Figures for TIAs for the Southport and Formby CCG were concerning.

·       The ambulance category 1 response time.

·       Take-up of the GP extended access scheme and if information on the scheme was provided via the NHS 111 service and the NHS app. Further information could be obtained.

·       Proposals for the reconfiguration of the hyper-acute stroke services acrossNorth Merseyside and West Lancashire by the provision of a single site at Aintree Hospital and the step-down pathway care that would be provided at Southport Hospital.

·       Fragile services at Southport Hospital and if this would impact on stroke services at the Hospital.

RESOLVED: That

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

(2)      the Chief Officer for the Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups be requested to provide information on how the GP extended access scheme is conveyed to patients.

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 fall within the remit of the Committee.

The Cabinet Member update report – Adult Social Care, attached to the report at Appendix A, outlined information on the following:

·       Care Homes – Vaccination;

·       Adult Social Care Budget:

o   External grants;

·       Sefton’s Adults Safeguarding Board;

·       Mental Health Services:

o   Sefton Mental Health Review;

o   Brain in Hand App;

·       Safeguarding Performance;

·       Integration and National Policy Update:

o   Integrated Care Teams (ICTs) Updates; and

·       Complaints Update.

Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care, attended the meeting to present his report and to respond to any questions.

The Cabinet Member update report – Health and Wellbeing, attached to the report at Appendix B, outlined information on the following:

·       Covid-19 Update;

·       Obesity;

·       Seasonal Influenza;

·       Children’s Living Well Sefton;

·       Leisure Update;

·       Leisure: Children and Young People 121 Programme; and

·       Adult Social Care and Health - Integration and National Policy Update.

Councillor Moncur, Cabinet Member - Health and Wellbeing, attended the meeting to present his report and to respond to any questions. He emphasised the increasing rates of Covid-19 and the importance of the booster vaccination.

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

·       Hospital admissions for Covid-19.

·       The influence of anti-vax groups.

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.

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer reviewing the Committee’s Work Programme for the remainder of 2021/22; reporting on progress of the Mental Health Issues Working Group; reporting on progress of work on the Integrated Care Partnership; 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; reporting on progress made on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee to consider proposals for the reconfiguration of the hyper-acute stroke services acrossNorth Merseyside and West Lancashire; and noting the update from Healthwatch Sefton.

The Work Programme for 2021/22 was set out at Appendix A to the report, to be considered, along with any additional items to be included and agreed.

The report set out progress to date made by the Mental Health Issues Working Group Final Report.

The report set out progress made on work on the Integrated Care Partnership.

There was just one Decision 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; reported on progress made on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee to consider proposals for the reconfiguration of the hyper-acute stroke services acrossNorth Merseyside and West Lancashire;and set out an update on recent activities undertaken by Healthwatch Sefton, as attached to the report at Appendix C.

RESOLVED:

(1)      the Work Programme for 2021/22, 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)      progress made on work on the Integrated Care Partnership be noted;

(4)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 November 2021 – 28 February 2022, be noted;

(5)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview andScrutiny Committee be noted;

(6)      the progress made on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, to consider proposals for the reconfiguration of the hyper-acute stroke services across North Merseysideand West Lancashire, be noted; and

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

The Chair advised the Committee that Mr. Roger Hutchings, Healthwatch Representative, had submitted his resignation as a co-opted member of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

That thanks be placed on record for Mr. Hutchings’ service to the Committee and for his participation on a number of working groups.