Agenda item

(To receive a report which sets out the work programmes of the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee; and the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire in accordance with the Board's agreed programme)

Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

The Chairman of the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee referred Members to the Committee's prospective work programme. Members were advised that since publication of the report, the following changes had been made to the work programme:

·      The item on Homes for Independence Strategy had been deferred from 27            November 2019 and provisionally listed for 26 February 2020.

·           The item on Home Based Reablement Procurement had been brought forward    from 26 February 2020 and was now listed for 15 January 2020, as a decision   by the Executive on this was programmed for 4 February 2020. 

Members were invited to ask questions on the Adults and Community Wellbeing Work Programme, in which the following points were noted:

·         It was agreed that the presentation on One You Lincolnshire that was presented to the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on the 9 October 2019 be circulated to the Board.

·         It was clarified that the One You Lincolnshire service focussed on providing support to those who wanted to make changes to their lifestyle, rather than seeking out those with complex needs and providing support to assist.

·         It was noted that Lincolnshire was generally above the national averages for the amount of people smoking and being overweight. 

·         Members were informed that extra funding had been received to cope with winter pressures, and assurance had been given that there were plans in place to manage pressures as much as possible.

·         Members were pleased that the Delayed Transfer of Care rates had dropped significantly.

·         Members welcomed and supported the work on Team around the Adult.

·         The Chairman of the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee agreed to look into mortality and morbidity rates for Lincolnshire in relation to councils who have a lower percentage of people who were overweight and smoking.

·         It was agreed that a report on preventing Alzheimer's be considered as a possible item for the work programme.

Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

The Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee informed members of the following:

·         The Committee had completed its programme of items as part of the local NHS's Healthy Conversation 2019 engagement exercise, which was due to close on 31 October. The Committee would be considering the report on the outcome of the Healthy Conversation, in advance of the full consultation by the NHS in 2020. 

·         The Committee had received a report on the Community Pain Management Service – Connect Health, which had outlined the commissioners' reasons for the problems with the community pain management service.  The commissioners had provided assurances that the contract was not like the non-emergency patient transport contract, where the performance of the contractor had been poor for over two years.  The Committee had requested a further report in January 2020, to seek assurances that the patients were receiving better treatment for their pain.

·         In relation to Urgent and Emergency Care, the Committee had received information which showed that the number of ambulance arrivals at Peterborough City Hospital from the NG31, NG32 and NG33 postcodes had doubled over the last five years.  Data had also been requested from Nottingham and Leicester.

·         On the 17 October 2019, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its inspection report on United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which leaves the Trust still in 'special measures' for its care.  The Trust's response to this latest report would be considered on 13 November, alongside its action plans in response to earlier CQC reports.

·         Members were advised of changes to the Committee's work programme for November 2019. It was noted that the work programme from January 2020 onwards was mostly clear. However, the Committee was looking to schedule items on the Lincoln Medical School, Louth County Hospital (Inpatient Services), Out of Hours Services, and Developer and Planning Contributions for NHS Provision. 

Members were invited to ask questions, in which the following points were noted:

·         Some Members expressed their concerns that the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's) had not consulted widely enough. Members requested further information on the date that the formal consultation would begin. The Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire advised that the Committee had also expressed its concerns that the engagement had not been satisfactory, and that it had been proposed that the consultation would begin at the start of 2020.

·         It was clarified that the Committee would respond to the Healthy Conversation Consultation as a statutory consultee. The final decision would lie with the NHS.

·         Members were advised that the NHS was looking to expand its use of rapid diagnosis centres for cancer patients, which would involve General Practices (GP's) working together across networks to improve quick diagnosis rates. The Committee was satisfied with the plans to progress these centres.

·         Other than the announcement that the Pilgrim Hospital Boston would receive funding of £21m, there had been no other confirmation of any further funding to Lincolnshire's hospitals at this stage.

·         Members were informed that patients could still receive pain management medication, but medication which had been proven to be successful had been offered.

RESOLVED:

            That the Board was satisfied with the future work programmes of the          Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee; and the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire