Agenda and minutes

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 2016 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 2016 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) lists the actions from previous meetings and their current status. 

The report of the Executive Director (Public Health, Planning and Governance) identified actions agreed at the meeting of the Committee held on 16 November 2016 and their current status.

The Director (Housing and Communities) advised Members that work had been completed to progress the Older Persons Housing Strategy.  The Strategy was now in the final stages of development and once finalised would be presented to the Council.  

RESOLVED:

That further updates on the progress on the Older Persons Housing Strategy be brought to future meetings of the Social Overview and Scrutiny Committee as appropriate.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on this Agenda.

Councillor L.Chesterman declared non-pecuniary interests in items on the Agenda as appropriate by virtue of being a Member of Hertfordshire County Council.

Presentation by Jacqui Bunce, Associate Director, East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which gives an overview of the health of residents of Welwyn Hatfield and of the Strategic Transformation Fund for the NHS.

The Committee received and welcomed a presentation from the Associate Director, East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (ENHCCG).  The presentation gave an overview of the health of residents of Welwyn Hatfield and on the Hertfordshire and West Essex Sustainability and Transformation Plan (attached at Appendix 1).

The Associate Director, on behalf of the ENHCCG, thanked colleagues in the Public Health Team for their contribution.  The Council had given a great deal of support to the ENHCCG.

Following the presentation the Associate Director addressed the points raised by Members:-

Availability of appointments continued to be an on-going issue for many constituents.  How would this be addressed?

A number of solutions had been proposed:-

·         The NHS needed to do things differently. 

·         For individuals who were concerned about their health – the ‘worried well’, other services to whom they could be directed needed to be made available and easy to use. 

·         The alternative services could be talking to the practice nurse or the NHS.

·         This development was not the responsibility of the GPs.

·         Joined up services, one which could share records about a patient’s treatment would free up resources. 

·         Pathways for a patient’s care needed to be clearer as did the overall control of care. 

·         Improved use of resources now and in the future.

·         Changes in how the services were delivered without patients being detrimentally affected. 

The voluntary sector, who undertook a considerable amount of community work, were under increasing pressure.  Funding was being cut whilst the needs of the community increased.  The sector may not be able to keep pace with demand on their services.

The NHS recognised and valued the role the voluntary sector played in the provision of services.  There needed to be joined up thinking around patients being discharged from hospital and into a care placement to enable patients to come out of hospital as soon as they were well enough.

Work more effectively with the voluntary sector, with the NHS finding out how it could support the voluntary sector to work to together to sustain the services provided. 

Sharing of good practices within the voluntary sector.

Alternative ways of consulting GPs was also being looked into to ensure the efficient and effective use of resources.  This included:-

·         Development of the role of pharmacists to provide advice and support.

·         Increased usage of telephone consultations for an initial risk assessment so as to ascertain the best next step for the patient, be it to consult their GP or pharmacist, or to attend hospital.

·         Information technology needed to be easier to use, with telephone consultations regularly taking place. 

·         It was often very difficult to see or speak to a GP as there were many barriers in front of a patient before they were able obtain a consultation.

·         Another difficulty was the complexities of care.  If a patient happened to be under two specialists then the different departments appeared to work in silos and independently of each other. There was little or no communication between the departments.

·         People were confused about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

A presentation on Public Health Projects from Jo Harding, Head of Public Health and Protection.

Members received an update on the Public Health Projects funded by the District Offer during a presentation from the Head of Public Health and Protection (attached at Appendix 2).

Members welcomed the success of Health Walks and noted that there were different levels of walks available which could be accessed by a wide range of ages and abilities.  Officers confirmed that health walks were run in Hatfield.

Members expressed concerns that the youth park runs would end when funding ceased.

Officers advised that the Public Health Team was not currently resourced to continue to support the initiatives started with funding from the District Offer and there was a sustainability issue which prevented other projects from being started.  The Team, however, would endeavour to continue to support and obtain alternative funding.  This work included the Council’s partners e.g. the Clinical Commissioning Group.

Councillor Bennett advised Members that the park runs were organised by a volunteer, Louise Smith who had successfully rolled the events out across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.  It was noted that the runs were self-funding and that Louise had started a youth run in Bedford.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the presentation on the Public Health Projects funded by the District Offer be noted.

(2)       That the Head of Public Health and Protection report in more detail on the outcomes of the initiatives provided through the Hertfordshire District Offer at the next meeting of the Social Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(3)       That Officers liaise with Hatfield Town Council to start a walk from its offices in Hatfield.

Report providing Members with an update on the Dementia Action Alliance.

Report of the Executive Director (Public Health, Planning and Governance) set out an update for Members on the work carried out to achieve the Council’s aspiration of building a Dementia Friendly Community.

Members received a presentation from the Environmental Health Technical Officer on the Welwyn Hatfield Dementia Action Alliance (WHDAA) (attached at Appendix 3).

Councillor F.Thomson, as Lead Member for Health commented that:-

•              Work was being undertaken to get GP surgeries and schools involved in the Dementia Friendly Community.

•              Carers in Herts and care homes would be invited to join the Dementia Friendly Community.

•              The sugar boards, which had been taken to various locations across the Borough, had been very successful.

•               

It was suggested that Hatfield Town Council be approached to join the Dementia Friendly Community.

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the work carried out to achieve the Council’s aspiration of building a Dementia Friendly Community as set out in the report be noted

(2)     That the Social Overview and Scrutiny Committee support the continuation of this initiative.

A verbal report on the health Working Group will be delivered by Councillor F Thomson.

The Committee received a verbal report on the Health Working Group by the Lead Member for Health, Councillor F.Thomson, who reported on the following:-

·         The Health Working Group, a cross party group, made up of Councillors M.Cook; H.Quenet and F.Thomson had been formed. 

·         An update on the development of an action plan had been given at a forum with the health partners.  There would be a forward focus on the action plan.  Other key points were that emergency attendance had risen by 8% and emergency admittance by 14%.  There had been 410 admissions in December 2016.

·         This had an impact on the elected surgeries due to the availability of beds.  It was a national trend.  Welwyn Hatfield was in line with this national trend. 

·         There had been good attendance at the QEII hospital and the urgent care centre.

·         Detailed performance of the QEII had been requested.

·         In summary the Health Scrutiny Committee at Hertfordshire County Council had reported that:

·         It was a difficult time for Welwyn Garden City

·         Annual Budget Scrutiny would take place in March 2017

·         Transport to and from Lister Hospital, Stevenage was being considered by the Health Scrutiny Committee as residents found it difficult to access services there.  Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS would be involved in the review.

·         The next meetings would be in held May and September 2017.

RESOLVED:

That the update received from the Lead Member for Health on the work of the Health Working Group be noted.

The pro-forma which sets out the Committee’s overview work programme has been updated since the last meeting to enable forward planning of items to be considered to take place. Items which the Committee agrees it would like to consider will be scheduled into the work programme. 

Members agreed, due to the length of the agenda that the March meeting of the Committee commence at 7.00pm.

To receive any request from a Councillor for a discussion on behalf of residents on an issue affecting a single council ward where local problems have arisen and other methods of resolution have been exhausted.

A Member raised an issue regarding a constituent who had experienced problems at the Hatfield Swim Centre.  Following discussion, it was AGREED that this matter was not for this meeting and should be referred to the Head of Policy and Culture for clarification and advice.