Agenda for Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 25th November, 2015, 4.00pm
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Agenda and minutes
PDF 133 KBVenue: The Ronuk Hall, Portslade Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Cliona May Assistant Democratic Services Officer
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Procedural Business (a) Declarations of Substitutes: Where councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same political group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.
(b) Declarations of Interest:
(a) Disclosable pecuniary interests; (b) Any other interests required to be registered under the local code; (c) Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.
In each case, you need to declare (i) the item on the agenda the interest relates to; (ii) the nature of the interest; and (iii) whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.
If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
Note: Any item appearing in Part Two of the agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the press and public.
A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls and on-line in the Constitution at part 7.1.
Minutes: 29(a) Declarations of Substitutes
29.1 Councillor Noonan declared she was substituting for Councillor Cattell
(a) Declarations of Interest
29.2 There were no declarations of interest
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public
29.3 In accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the Act”), the Committee considered whether the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item of business on the grounds that it is likely in view of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during it, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act.
RESOLVED - That the public are not excluded from any item of business on the agenda.
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To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2015 (copy attached). Minutes: 30.1 Councillor Marsh stated that she had been present at the meeting held on 9 September 2015 but it had not been recorded. Councillor Moonan stated that she was recorded as being present at that meeting, but had not attended.
30.2 Councillor Allen referred to paragraph 23.10, and said that he had not yet received the information requested. The Chair said that she would follow that up.
30.3 RESOLVED – That the Chair be authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2015 as a correct record.
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Chairs Communications Minutes: 31.1 The Chair stated:
The Chair welcomed everyone to the Overview and Scrutiny committee meeting,
There has been an update from the hospital trust. The three party spokespeople have agreed that we are going to hold an extra scrutiny meeting to focus on the hospital trust; aiming for this to be in early to mid January 2016. We will also be inviting East and West Sussex scrutiny councillors to join that meeting.
The Chair said that she had attended a commissioning group meeting looking at some of the Goodwood Court issues.. The outcome of the meeting is embargoed but we will let you have them as soon as possible.
Lastly, this is Matt Wragg and Reuben Brett’s last meetings. Matt is moving on to a new role in East Sussex County Council next month, so thank you both for all of your support and assistance with OSC and good luck for the future. The Chair welcomed Reuben’s replacement on the Committee, Zak Capewell.
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Public Involvement To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:
(a) Petitions: To receive any petitions presented by members of the public.
(b) Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the XX 2015.
(c) Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the XX 2015.
Minutes: 32a Petitions
32.1 There were none.
32b Written Questions
32.2 There were none.
32c Deputations
32.3 There were none.
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To consider the following matters raised by Members:
(c) Letters: To consider any letters;
Councillor Wares – Primary Care Services Minutes: 33a Petitions
33.1 There were none.
33b Written Questions
33.2 There were none.
33c Letters
33.3 The Committee considered the Letter submitted by Councillor Wares regarding the request for a Scrutiny Review on Primary Care Services in Brighton & Hove.
33.4 The Chair thanked Councillor Wares for his Letter and said that the matter would be looked at during consideration of Item 36 ‘Primary Care Services in Brighton & Hove’.
33d Notices of Motion
33.5 There were none.
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Update from Co-Optees To receive any updates from the non-voting co-optees. Minutes: 34.1 There were no updates from Co-optees on the Committee. |
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Update on Unscheduled Care/ Emergency Dept at BSUH (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 35.1 Mr Matthew Kershaw (Chief Executive, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust), Ms Sherree Fagge (Chief Nurse, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust) and Dr Mark Smith (Chief Officer Accident & Emergency) introduced the report regarding the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection of Urgent and Emergency Services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital which took place in June 2015. The CQC’s report was published in October 2015. They noted that this was a brief summary, prior to the more detailed session scheduled for January 2016.
The committee heard about the main areas for improvement for the hospital to focus on, and the improvements that had already been implemented, recognising that there was still some way to go to address all of the issues that had been identified.
35.2 Councillor Marsh noted that new members of staff had been recruited with the skill set being widened, and asked if that had helped address the issues raised by the Care Quality Commission. Mr Kershaw said that there had been changes to staff, such as the appointment of Dr Smith, and that had brought fresh ideas to the department. There was also a scheduled change in the non executive director make-up.
35.3 Councillor Moonan noted that there were patients who were fit to be discharged from hospital but were unable to go home as the support they would need in the community was not available. Mr Kershaw said that that was a problem, and there were currently 40-50 patients within the trust who would be better placed elsewhere. He said that the Local Authority, Community Trust and Third Sector needed to continue to work together to address the problem. 35.4 Councillor O’Quinn noted the pilot project within the elderly care ward, where patients were discharged and then assessed at home for their further care needs, and asked if further information were available. Mr Kershaw said that more detailed information could be provided at the January meeting
35.5 Councillor O’Quinn referred to the Care Quality Commission report and noted that there was ‘a continued deterioration of performance’ with the Emergency Department. Mr Kershaw said the report concerned 2014, and since then changes had been made and the work that Dr Smith had undertaken had made a difference. Dr Smith said that there had been an improved level of clinical engagement with staff, and that had made a difference. Nevertheless, it was accepted that not enough progress had been made to date and it was hoped that the new arrangements would improve service in a speedier manner.
35.6 Councillor Allen referred to the Summary of Findings in the CQC report, and asked why the Board had been complacent in addressing the recommendations. Mr Kershaw said he didn’t fully agree with the Summary, and whilst he accepted that actions undertaken hadn’t fully addressed the challenges he did not feel that the Board had been complacent.
35.7 Councillor Allen noted that there was pressure to reduce the number of agency staff and asked how the hospital would ensure that there continued to be an adequate level of employees. Ms Fagge said that a number of strategies were being used; recruiting from overseas, focus on recruiting local staff and working with the universities to commission student nurse places. She has one senior member of staff solely dedicated to workforce issues. Dr Smith added that the Royal Sussex was a National Trauma Centre, with a good reputation, so it was an attractive place to work and that assisted in staff recruitment and retention.
The Healthwatch representative said that patient feedback had largely been very positive but there was still a gap around communication with patients and an anxiety about the CQC ‘inadequate’ rating. Mr Kershaw thanked Healthwatch for the comments and said that they tried to provide staff with positive feedback in a variety of ways including the recent staff awards.
35.8 Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked if the Care Quality Commission result had been a surprise. Mr Kershaw said that it had not been, as many of the concerns raised were already being addressed. He said that whilst he didn’t agree with all of the findings, he accepted that overall it was correct.
35.9 The Chair thanked everyone and reminded committee members that any further questions could be raised at the special meeting in January.
35.10 RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the report. |
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Primary Care Services in Brighton & Hove
Extract from Health & Wellbeing Board attached. Additional documents: Minutes: 36.1 Mr Stephen Ingram (Head of Primary Care NHS England South), Ms Laura Wade (Primary Care NHS England) and Dr Christa Beesley (Clinical Commissioning Group, Brighton and Hove) introduced the report, which provided an extract from the proceedings of the Health & Wellbeing Board meeting in October 2015 regarding the report from NHS England ‘Strengthening Primary Care Services in Brighton and Hove’.
36.2 The Committee considered this report along with Item 37 ‘Healthwatch Report on Safeguarding in GP Practices’. Ms Nicky Cambridge (Acting Chief Executive Healthwatch Brighton and Hove) introduced the report.
36.3 The Chair thanked officers for the reports, and suggested it would be useful for members of the Committee to receive a briefing or workshop on GP provision and sustainability from NHS England and the CCG. That was agreed and was requested before the end of February 2016.
36.4 Councillor Wares asked when all the GP Practices in the city would be reviewed. Mr Ingram said that currently 12 of the 46 practices had been reported. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had begun a new inspection and rating regime in 2014 and said they would visit all practices every 18 months which had now been extended by a further 6 months. He was grateful to Healthwatch for providing the report.
36.5 Councillor Peltzer Dunn noted that some practices had not been rated, but CQC had still commented on them and asked how that could be. Ms Cambridge said that the CQC used to inspect all practices but didn’t rate them; that had now changed. There were therefore some practices which had been inspected and comments made, but had not been rated.
Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked for clarification around a point on page 53 of the report regarding a surgery in Wish Park ward. This was factually inaccurate and he wished to have this clarified.
36.6 Councillor Page noted the closure of Goodwood Court GP practice, and that the CQC had identified two practices which required improvement, and asked if there were an early warning system in place to assist practices which were struggling.
Mr Ingram (Head of Primary Care NHS England) said that there was no early warning system in place, and the NHS relied on practices to inform them that they were in difficulties. If they did, the NHS would immediately assist the practice. He added that it was becoming increasingly difficult for small or sole partner businesses to survive; it wasn’t just being a doctor but being able to run a small business too. Larger practices were also struggling as many GPs did not want to be partners in the practice, although this was not yet the case in Brighton and Hove. It was also an issue that GPs were retiring and practices were finding it hard to recruit new staff to replace them.
36.7 Councillor O’Quinn noted that Goodwood Court had had a high number of locums and asked if that may had contributed to the problems the practice had faced. Dr Beesley (CCG) said that the use of locums could have been a factor. She said that 30% of GPs in the city were locums, and there needed to be a way of encouraging doctors to commit to surgeries without them having to become partners.
36.8 Councillor Allen noted that five practices which were ‘of concern’ and asked who would be responsible for ensuring improvement. Mr Ingram said it was a shared responsibility between the CCG and NHS England. He added that practices were measured on a number of areas, some of which they were contracted to provide and some they weren’t; action could therefore only be taken by NHS England on those areas which they were contracted to provide.
36.9 Councillor Wares was concerned that the Health & Wellbeing Board, on which NHS England sat, had recommended that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee be requested to consider the establishment of a Scrutiny Panel to ’Review the report and the state of play for primary care and identify possible solutions/options to safeguard GP practices in the city’. He did not feel that it was the role of scrutiny to identify possible solutions.
The Chair suggested that a Workshop be held for the Committee members. This would enable the members to receive a full briefing on the issues before a decision was made on whether to appoint a scrutiny panel.
36.10 RESOLVED: The Committee agreed:
(1) That a Workshop be arranged for members of the Committee on the sustainability of GP Practices in the City.
(2) That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee noted the request for consideration of establishing a Scrutiny Panel to report on ‘to review the report and the state of play for primary care and identify possible solutions/options to safeguard GP practices in the city’.
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Healthwatch Report on Safeguarding in GP Practices
(copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 37.1 This report was considered alongside Item 36.
37.2 RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the report.
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Flood Risk Management Plans (copy attached). Minutes: 38.1 Mr Robin Humphries (Civil Contingencies Manager, Brighton & Hove City Council), and Ms M aggie Moran (Flood Risk Management Officer, Brighton & Hove City Council) introduced the report. The report examined the risk of flooding within the city.
38.2 Councillor Peltzer Dunn thanked the officers for the report, and asked if a report detailing how effective the measures put in place to reduce the impact of flooding had been could be provided for the Committee in due course. The Chair agreed.
38.3 Councillor Deane asked what more could be done, such as resident involvement, to address drains being blocked. Ms Moran said that Highways Maintenance now maintained the gullies in the city, and there was now a more structured way of monitoring them than there had been before. The Council would be happy to with the LACs to address any noted blocked drains.
38.4 RESOLVED: That the report be noted.
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Short Term Holiday Lets Panel Monitoring Report of the Director of Public Health (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 39.1 Mr Tim Nicholls (Head of Regulatory Services, Brighton & Hove City Council), and Ms Annie Sparks (Environmental Health Manager, Brighton & Hove City Council) introduced the report which gave the formal response to the Scrutiny Panel report on Short Term Holiday Lets (Party Houses).
39.2 RESOLVED: That the Committee agreed to endorse the officer response on Short Term Holiday Lets (Party Houses) and discharge the item.
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Traveller Strategy Scrutiny Panel Monitoring Report
(copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 40.1 Mr Andy Staniford (Housing Strategy Manager, Brighton & Hove City Council) introduced the report, which provided the third annual update on the progress made on implementing the recommendations of the Environment & Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee Traveller Scrutiny Panel.
40.2 RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the report and discharged the matter back to the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee.
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee Draft Work Plan/Scrutiny Update Minutes: 41.1 The Committee noted the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Draft Work plan/Scrutiny Update. |