Agenda item

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance seeking the views of the Committee on its Work Programme for the remainder of 2017/18; noting the progress to date by the Working Group established; noting the progress to date by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee for Cheshire and Merseyside (Orthopaedic Services); and identification of any items for pre-scrutiny scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan.

A Work Programme for 2017/18 was set out at Appendix A to the report, to be considered, along with any additional items to be included and agreed.

It was reported that representatives of Aintree University Hospital Foundation Trust had been requested to attend the next meeting of the Committee and it was hoped that they would attend. Additionally, a new Chief Executive had been appointed at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust and was anticipated to be in post by spring 2018. He would be requested to attend a meeting of the Committee once he took up his post.

Further to Minute No. 37 above, the Residential and Care Homes Working Group had now been completed.

Further to Minute No. 30 (4) of 17 October 2017, NHS England and Public Health England were now undertaking a review on dentistry and in view of this review, it was preferable to defer consideration of this topic, until such time as the outcome of the review was completed.

It was reported that the topic of DNAs (Did Not Attend) in terms of missed appointments at GP surgeries could be considered as a possible topic for review during 2018/19, possibly to include general complaints and with a view to sharing best practice.

The first meeting of the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee for Cheshire and Merseyside (Orthopaedic Services) had taken place during June 2017 and site visits at both Broadgreen and Aintree Hospitals had been held since.

There were four Key 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.

Further to Minute No. 4 (b) of the Joint Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) held on 12 October 2017, it was reported that representatives of the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group had now requested deferral of the final decision of substantial reconfiguration, in relation to the review of services provided by Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, until the meeting of Sefton Council scheduled for 19 April 2018.

The report also sought views on the process to be undertaken for the scrutiny of a number of draft Quality Accounts from NHS Trusts during May 2018. The report set out the process adopted during 2017 and suggested following the same procedure in 2018.

It was reported that the Committee could consider draft Quality Accounts from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, insofar as the Trust provided community health services in the south of the Borough; Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, as the Trust provided community health services in the north of the Borough; and the North West Ambulance Service. In addition, an annual event was usually hosted by one of the Merseyside Clinical Commissioning Groups on draft quality Accounts and the Senior Democratic Services Officer would advise Members of the Committee of details, once they were available.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the Work Programme for 2017/18, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be agreed, and the invitation to representatives of Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to attend the next meeting of the Committee, be noted;

(2)       the progress made by the Residential and Care Homes Working Group, together with the suggestions for a working group during 2018/19, be noted;

(3)       the progress to date by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee for Cheshire and Merseyside (Orthopaedic Services) be noted;

(4)       the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 December 2017 – 31 March 2018, be noted;

(5)       the fact that the final decision regarding the issue of substantial reconfiguration, in relation to the review of services provided by Liverpool Women’s Hospital, is now scheduled to be considered by the Council at its meeting on 19 April 2018, be noted;

(6)       with regard to the process to be undertaken for the scrutiny of draft Quality Accounts in 2018, an informal daytime meeting be convened to consider three draft Quality Accounts, the details of the meeting to be determined in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, a representative of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to be requested to attend the meeting, together with Healthwatch representatives, the draft Quality Accounts from the following NHS Trusts to be considered:-

·         Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, insofar as the Trust provides community health services in the south of the Borough;

·         Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, as the Trust provides community health services in the north of the Borough; and

·         North West Ambulance Service.