Issue - items at meetings - Implementation of the Health & Social Care Bill: Update

Report of the Strategic Director, Resources, on local implementation of the Health & Social Care Bill (2011)

77.1    This item was introduced by Terry Parkin, Strategic Director, People.

77.2    Mr Parkin told members that the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was performing well on all indicators and was well-prepared for the authorisation process. The CCG has successfully resisted some pressure to increase its boundaries beyond that of the city, which is to be welcomed, as the co-terminosity of the CCG and the city council provides significant benefits to the city.

77.3    The city Public Health team have now moved into council premises and are working alongside council commissioners. At a national level, the spilt of responsibilities between Public Health England and local Public Health services is still being worked out, but an indicative budget for local areas has been published and work is underway to match this budget against city needs.

77.4    Plans for a local Health & Wellbeing Board (HWB) have now been approved by Governance Committee, Cabinet and Full Council, having in the process been amended to include greater member-representation. The success of the HWB will depend upon it maintaining a tight focus on high-level outcomes via the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (as specified in the HWB Terms of Reference agreed by Full Council).

77.5    In terms of Healthwatch (HW), Mr Parkin told members that there was still considerable uncertainty about HW, particularly around children’s services. Current plans envisage local HW organisations working closely with a national organisation, Healthwatch England, which will sit within the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the NHS and social care watchdog. However, CQC has no remit to oversee children’s services, which fall within the remit of Ofsted, so it is unclear how HW would be able to represent young people’s views without recourse to escalating its concerns via Healthwatch England/CQC. This lack of clarity regarding HW’s roles is one of the reasons that the local HWB will include a young person from the Brighton & Hove Youth Council, ensuring that local young people have a voice in HWB decisions.

77.6    In response to a question from the Chair on a possible clash of interest with HW taking part in HWB decisions but also potentially scrutinising the implementation of HWB strategies, members were told that the Department of Health had issued guidance on this issue. All the members of the HWB are champions for particular constituencies, so HW is not unique in this respect.

77.7    RESOLVED – That the report be noted.