Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs. J. M. L. A. Griffiths, S. P. Shannon and Mrs. C J. Spencer.

Councillor J. S. Brogan disclosed an interest in respect of item No. 4 as an employee of a Health Trust and in respect of item No 12 which made reference to his employer.

The Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 18th June 2012 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record.

(Chris Fearns, the JSR Project Director and Director of Strategy for Worcestershire Acute Health Trust will attend with Rose Johnson, Associate Medical Director and A&E Consultant.)

The Board received a presentation in respect of the Worcestershire NHS Joint Services Review, Worcestershire hospitals – fit for tomorrow, from representatives of Worcestershire Acute Health Trust (WAHT). Members were reminded that a number of pre-prepared questions had been forwarded to WAHT.  The presentation was an overview on the case for change of the Joint Services Review and provided information on the models of care which were currently being developed together with details of the project’s planned timetable and any associated governance issues in relation to it.  Members were informed that this was a joint review between the commissioners, NHS Worcestershire and the Acute Hospital, which commenced in March 2012 with the aim of a final business case being prepared by January/February 2013.  The review was for the whole of WAHT’s services which operated from 3 sites plus 4 community hospitals. 

It was a clinically led review and covered 4 work streams, Women and Children, Emergency Care, Elective Care (planned care) and Elderly Care.  Representatives from each of these work streams had been involved from primary care and secondary care, together with clinicians from a whole range across the community including ambulance services, nursing and general practitioners.  The Models of care, which had been identified and which were explained in detail to Members, would then be appraised in order to assess which should be put forward as final options.  It was emphasised that, in all the Models identified, outpatients, diagnostics and primary care facilities would be maintained and provided exactly as they were at the moment in all parts of the County.  The Models were focused on the acute in-patient or emergency admission type of work.

The evaluation framework was explained to Members in detail, together with the non financial and financial criteria and weightings that would be considered when creating the shortlist of options which would be included in the final consultation.  It was stressed that this was a clinically led and patient centred review and every opportunity was being taken to involve the public in the engagement process.  There would be continued external scrutiny through the Worcestershire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the National Clinical Assessment Board and Stakeholder Reference Board.  Details of the revised project timetable were provided together with details of the governance arrangements, accountability and decision making process which would be followed in order to reach the formal public consultation stage in Autumn 2012.

(A copy of the presentation is attached at Appendix 1 for information.)

The representatives in attendance were:

Christine Fearns – Joint Service Review Project Director

Dr. Angus Thompson – Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Clinical Director for Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Dr. Anthony Kelly – General Practitioner from Droitwich.

The Board discussed the following areas in detail and the representatives from WAHT responded to questions:

• The potential closure of the Accident and Emergency department at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.  (Specific statistics had been requested in respect of admissions and it was confirmed that these would be provided  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The Board received a presentation from the Housing Strategy & Enabling Team Leader in respect of the Worcestershire Joint Homelessness Strategy 2012-17. 

The strategy had been produced following the relevant guidance and a comprehensive review of services being undertaken in 2011 by a specific project team.  The Housing Strategy & Enabling Team Leader highlighted both national and current local issues which could have an affect on homelessness, including the Comprehensive Spending Review, the impact of the Localism Act, the increase in rough sleeping across the County and links to childhood life experiences such as domestic abuse and relationship breakdown. The Board’s attention was also brought to the 4 strategic goals of the strategy and the work which would be carried out in order for those goals to be met.

• Provide a pathway to a housing solution for everyone
• Create strong partnerships to tackle homelessness
• Take effective action to prevent anyone new to the streets having to sleep out for more than one night
• Reduce financial deprivation within our communities to minimise homelessness.

The Housing Strategy & Enabling Team Leader responded to questions and the Board discussed the following areas in detail:

• Links between health, especially mental health and homelessness
• Available support from staff based at Bromsgrove
• Providing accommodation for homeless persons from outside of the district.
• The Choice Based letting system
• An increase in the number of young people being housed in sheltered accommodation and whether this was a temporary measure – officers agreed to investigate and provide Members with further information.

The Board were informed that the Joint Homelessness Strategy had completed its consultation on 6th July 2012 and would be presented to Cabinet for consideration at its meeting to be held on 5th September 2012.

RESOLVED that the presentation on the Worcestershire Joint Homelessness Strategy 2012-17 be noted.

The Board considered the Quarter 4 Corporate Performance Report and received a brief summary of its content from the Head of Business Transformation.  It was highlighted to Members that of the 16 performance indicators included in the report 10 had improved and 6 had declined.  Improvements had been seen in the use of Bromsgrove Urban Rural Transport (BURT) scheme and Shopmobility and increased attendance at the Artrix Centre.  The area which was causing the most concern was the decline in usage of the town centre car parks.  The Head of Business Transformation confirmed that a marketing campaign was being prepared in conjunction with the car park management team, Wychavon District Council.

The Board discussed the following areas in detail and the Head of Business Transformation responded to questions on those areas:

• The decline in the use of the car parks and the financial implications to the Council – Members queried whether this was due to an increase in parking charges which may have occurred.  (Officers to seek clarification of any increase in charges and details of financial implications.)
• Details of the marketing campaign to promote the car parks and the aims and objectives, financial implications and reasoning behind working with Wychavon District Council.
• The increase in usage of the Artrix and the financial support provided by the Council. (Officers to clarify whether a review would be possible.)
• The processing of benefits and the improvements which could be expected from the transformation programme.
• The reasons for the delay in payment of invoices by the Council (Officers to seek further clarification on this point).
• Reference was made within the body of the report to 2 national indicators in respect of air quality and climate change, however further information was not given.  Members requested Officers to provide further information in respect of those indicators.
• The recording of complaints and the inclusion of the recommendations from the Planning Policy Task Group.

The Executive Director, Planning and Regeneration, Regulatory Services, Housing Services responded to points raised by Members in respect of the processing of planning applications and the comments provided within the report in respect of the delays which had occurred.  It was expected that improvements from the transformation process would have an impact on the figures for the first quarter of 2012/13.

RESOLVED:

(a)               that the Corporate Performance Report Quarter 4 be noted; and

(b)               that the Board receive a detailed report in respect of Car Parking, to include details of the marketing campaign, the financial implications of the reduction in usage and the aims and objectives and any cost implications of working with Wychavon District Council, at the meeting to be held on 10th September 2012.

The Board considered the Sickness Absence Performance and Health report for Quarter 4, which included statistics for the 12 month period ended 31st March 2012.  The acting Shared Human Resources & Organisational Development Manager informed Members that a new format for the report had been used which should be more useful and informative; however Members comments and feedback would be welcomed.  It was also the final quarter before the majority of shared services had been put in place.  The movement of staff between sites had presented some difficulties as no comparable data was available, from April 2012 there would be an opportunity for Members to access details of shared services which were not hosted by the Council. 

The following areas were highlighted and discussed by Members:

• A 20% reduction in absence for quarter 4.
• The modifications made to the pie chart used to highlight categories for absence.
• The statistics for the full year 2011/12, which were below the corporate target.
• Seasonal absences and work being done to identify reason for peaks in absences at particular times throughout the year.
• Long term absences compared to short term and the relevance to particular areas of work, for example Environmental Services.
• Targets for 2012/13 and the inclusion of this within the review of sickness reporting. (This would be circulated to the Health & Safety Committee for discussion.)

The Board discussed and the acting Shared Human Resources & Organisational Development Manager responded to questions in respect of the following areas:

• Any established patterns identified in respect of short term sickness absence (particularly in respect of Environmental Services).
• The inclusion of agency staff sickness absences within the figures provided for Environmental Services. (Officers to clarify whether this was the case and if not the reasons for not including this information.)
• The training events which had been held to assist managers in the understanding and dealing with mental health issues in the work place.  The Board were informed that these had been provided by a staff member who was appropriately trained and therefore funded from existing budgets.
• Stress related absences in relation to transformation and other work related issues.
• Members noted that within the pie chart used to highlight categories of absence there was a category classed as “unknown” – the acting Shared Human Resources & Organisational Development Manager agreed to clarify this point.

RESOLVED that the Sickness Absence Performance and Health Quarter 4 Report be noted.

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions was considered by the Board.  Members commented on the slippage which had occurred in respect of the Fly Posting Policy and the Land Disposal Policy, both of which should have been received by Cabinet at its meeting on 6th June 2012 and were now scheduled in for the Cabinet meeting on 5th September 2012.  Officers agreed to investigate and report back to Members.

The Chairman reminded the Board that at the meeting held on 18th June 2012 Members were requested to submit any completed Overview and Scrutiny topic proposals for consideration and inclusion within the Work Programme.  Members were provided with copies of five such proposal forms and following discussion it was

RESOLVED:

(a)               that a report and presentation be received at the Board meeting to be held on 10th September 2012 in respect of the Local Strategic Partnership;

(b)               that a report and presentation on the Shared Services – Value for Money? Topic proposal be scheduled into the Work Programme as soon as practicably possible; and

(c)               that CCTV Shared Service, Regulatory Services and Impact of the Localism Act on Bromsgrove District be scheduled in to the Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

The Board considered the Work Programme and it was

RESOLVED that subject to the amendments detailed in Minute No. 24/12 the Work Programme be noted.

Councillor Dr. B. T. Cooper, the Council’s representative on the Worcestershire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) informed Members that as the Board had already received an in depth presentation on the Joint Service Review he would not go into detail on the recent HOSC meetings, however he was happy to respond to questions from Members either within the meeting or outside if members wished to email him.  Councillor Dr. Cooper did confirm that the majority of the financial queries raised early in the meeting were answered on page 11 of the HOSC meeting Minutes dated 22nd May 2012.