Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL. View directions

Contact: Jenny Shade, Senior Democratic Services Officer  Email: Direct.Democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

33.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 101 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 16 November 2017.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the 16 November 2017 were approved as a correct record.

34.

Urgent Items

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

35.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

No interests were declared.

36.

HealthWatch

Minutes:

Kim James stated that HealthWatch had received concerns from advisory groups, the HealthWatch board and organisations within Thurrock on how the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership Consultation was being run and how it was failing the people of Thurrock. Kim James stated that this was an unfair consultation which had become inaccessible for some groups within Thurrock. That the consultation was hard to access with only an on-line option available and requests made for hard copies, easy read versions and versions printed in different languages were not being made available to residents. That hard copies of the consultation document should have been more readily available for residents to access. Kim James also stated that the lack of reference to Orsett Hospital was disappointing.

 

Andy Vowles, Programme Director for the Sustainability and Transformation Programme, stated that the consultation had been shared with HealthWatch on the 30 November 2017 and an agreed approach was defined. That the consultation had been launched widely which had explained how documents could be accessed. Andy Vowles stated that a huge number of downloads had already been recorded. Printed copies and easy read versions of the complex consultation were available. That focus and interaction groups could also be set up for residents that would give them the opportunity to comment and participate.

 

Mandy Ansell, Accountable Officer, Thurrock NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) confirmed that conversations had taken place with HealthWatch and had agreed that CCG would now print off copies of the consultation. Mandy Ansell drew Members attention to the CCG Insight magazine that included published articles on the STP.

 

Councillor Redsell stated that a large proportion of Thurrock residents did not have access to the internet and those residents were being excluded and forgotten about. Councillor Snell echoed Councillor Redsell’s comments and concerns.

 

Councillor V Holloway stated that she was appalled that no easy read version of this consultation was available due to the complexity of the report. Those residents with learning disabilities should be given every opportunity to engage and be involved. Councillor V Holloway also stated that Members of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee had previously been given reassurance that Orsett Hospital would not be buried within the STP consultation but yet again hardly any references had been made to Orsett Hospital.

 

Andy Vowles stated that Essex County Council had advised that an easy read version of the complex report would be difficult to prepare but this had been undertaken and versions were available. That no disregard to any resident had been made and that the remainder of the 14 week consultation period presented an opportunity to learn more from focus groups. Andy Vowles confirmed that Orsett Hospital formed part of the STP and this had been shared with HealthWatch and was included in the five principles for the proposed future hospital services and reassured Members that Orsett Hospital had not been buried within the consultation documentation.

 

Neil Woodbridge, Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions, stated that reasonable adjustments should be made to the consultation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) (Presentation and Q&A) pdf icon PDF 855 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Andy Vowles, the Programme Director for the Sustainability and Transformation (STP) Partnership, presented the report to Members that covered a small range of services that formed part of the large STP and stated that the consultation was half way through with more discussion event focus groups being organised.  Andy Vowles went through the five principles for the future hospital services which included:

 

1.         The majority of hospital care will remain local.

2.         Certain more specialist services which need a hospital stay are concentrated in one place.

3.         Access to specialist emergency services, such as stroke care, should be via your local (or nearest) Accident & Emergency.

4.         Planned operations should, where possible, be separate from patients who are coming into hospital in an emergency.

5.         Some hospital services should be provided closer to residents.

 

The figure of those that would be affected in emergency were based on currently 960 attendees per day on average across the three Accident & Emergency departments, around 300 patients per day on average are currently admitted to hospital from Accident & Emergency; under the proposals for reorganising some specialist emergency services, an estimate of around 15 people per day would require a transfer from their local Accident & Emergency to a specialist team in another hospital.

 

The figure of those that would be affected in planned treatment were based on around 3,300 patients per day on average visiting the three hospital for an outpatient appointment, around 380 patients per day on average visiting the three hospitals for a planned operation; under the proposals for separating planned operations from emergency care, it would be estimated around 14 people per day would be referred to a hospital that was not their local hospital for a planned operation.

 

A summary of the proposed changes at Basildon Hospital was presented to Members and that the following services would remain the same: Accident and Emergency and urgent care, maternity services, intensive care, short stays in hospital, children’s care, care for older people, day case treatments and operations, tests, scans and outpatient appointments. The proposed service changes to emergency services could include: specialist stroke unit, improve stroke care and rehabilitation; specialist teams for complex lung problems, complex vascular problems, complex heart problems, more complex orthopaedic trauma surgery and specialist team for complex kidney problems.

 

The proposed changes that would affect Thurrock population were:

 

           All outpatients and majority of operations will stay local.

           Transfer of services from Orsett to the four new Integrated Medical Centres.

           Specialist stroke unit proposed in Basildon.

           Specialist teams in Basildon proposed for complex lung, vascular, heart and kidney problems.

           Planned orthopaedic operations proposed in Braintree and Southend.

           Specialist teams in Chelmsford proposed for complex urology, abdominal surgery and gastroenterology.

           Specialist gynaecology including cancer proposed in Southend.

 

Those views from the consultation on the proposed transfer of services from Orsett into the Integrated Medical Centres would be considered.

 

Andy Vowles updated Members on the proposed clinical transfer of patients between hospitals to ensure that discussions  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

Essex, Southend and Thurrock Joint Health Scrutiny Committee on the Sustainability and Transformation Programme for Mid and South Essex pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Roger Harris, Director of Adults, Housing and Health, presented the report and stated that following the establishment of a Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee with Essex and Southend the consultation papers had now been formally issued for consultation. Members were being asked to comment and agree to the draft terms of reference and to appoint four members to represent the Thurrock Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Roger Harris stated that following guidance from the Department of Health on Joint Scrutiny Committees it was clear that local authorities are required to appoint joint committees where a relevant NHS body or health service provider consults with more than one local authority’s health scrutiny function. Members were being advised to reserve its right over any potential referrals to the Secretary of State.

 

Councillor Snell stated that the majority of Members were initially against this Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee but understood the legal position and regulations for this to proceed. Councillor Snell stated that recommendation 2 should be amended to demand that meetings must be held in the evening to give all Thurrock full time working Members the opportunity to attend. That a formal request be made to the Chair of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee requesting that future timings are held no earlier than 7.00pm to ensure that Thurrock Members are given the opportunity to attend.

 

Councillor C Holloway requested some clarification on the terms of reference item 2.5. Roger Harris confirmed that individual local authorities, local Clinical Commissioning Group and local HealthWatch would continue to participate in the wider STP in their own right. Councillor Holloway requested clarification on item 6.2 of the terms of reference with regards to powers of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Roger Harris confirmed that all powers will fall to the Joint Committee apart from the power of referral to the Secretary of State.

 

Andy Vowles confirmed that discussions will take place at the informal committee on the 22 January 2018 with regards to the Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee functions and that comments received from the three Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be analysed and shared and that any reflections, observations or recommendations made would be put forward.

 

Councillors Snell, Collins, V Holloway and Redsell agreed that their views previously minuted with regards to Thurrock joining the Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee had not changed.

 

Councillor V Holloway asked how the three local authorities weighted with regards to the practicalities of comments. Roger Harris stated that a formal written response would be provided by the Joint Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee delegation apart from the referral to the Secretary of State which would come from the Thurrock Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

Councillor V Holloway asked whether the STP report would be presented again at Thurrock Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny committees. Roger Harris stated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

39.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

The Chair asked Members if there were any further items to be added or discussed for the work programme for the 2017-18 municipal year.

 

Members agreed that the report on Business Case for Tilbury Integrated Medical Centre/Tilbury Accountable Care Partnership be added to the next municipal year work programme.

 

Members agreed that the report on General Practitioner 5 Year Forward Review be added to the next municipal year work programme.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the item Business Case for Tilbury Integrated Medical Centre/Tilbury Accountable Care Partnership be added to the 2018/19 work programme.

 

2.         That the item General Practitioner 5 Year Forward Review be added to the 2018/19 work programme.