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 in accordance with the Board's agreed programme)

Consideration was given to a report by the Chairman of the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, which provided an update on recent work and planned work programme of the Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

Two items of previous work – the Recruitment and Retention of Adult Social Care staff and Budget Monitoring and Financial Outturn 2021/22 - were highlighted to the Board, as well as future work in relation to All Age Obesity and Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care.

In relation to All Age Obesity, it was queried how children’s services were involved with this, as data suggested that 80% of overweight adults were overweight as children. It was noted that the Committee would try to work with the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee on this, and it was commented that there was more that could be done around raising awareness, increasing activity levels and also time management.

Consideration was then given to a report by the Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire which provided an update on recent work and planned work programme for the Committee.

It was highlighted to the Board, that since the last report, there had been some changes to NHS organisation.  Clinical Commissioning Groups were abolished on 30 June 2022, and from 1 July 2022 the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board was established.

Previous work which was highlighted to the Board included GP services, Reconfiguration of Four Services (orthopaedics; urgent and emergency care in Grantham; acute medicine also in Grantham; and stroke services) and dental services.  Future work included items on Consultation on Mental Health Rehabilitation Service and Consultation on Spalding GP Service, which were both scheduled to be considered at the meeting on 14 September 2022.

Members commented that they were pleased to see that there would be an emphasis on dental services, due to the impact dental pain can have on people.  However, it was noted that this was a separate issue as the advice to residents was to ring 111 as there was still emergency access to dentists.

It was also commented that there was a need for a conversation about GP appointments, as it was becoming very difficult to get a doctor’s appointment, and it was usually only possible to book one for that day, there was then pressure on A&E services as people could not access their GP.  The Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire advised that one of the biggest complaints was in relation to GP appointments and stated that he would ask to see what could be done to improve the service.

As both Children’s and Adult’s social services could potentially be impacted by access to NHS services, it was queried whether this could increase demand on Adult Social Care and Children’s Services.

One member highlighted that access to GP’s could be subjective, as not every surgery was the same.

RESOLVED

1.    That the Board was satisfied with the activity undertaken since 24 March 2022 by:

a.    The Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

b.    The Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

2.    That the Board was satisfied with the planned work programme of:

a.    The Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

b.    The Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

3.    That the Board note the activity of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire’s three working groups:

                        i.         Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

                       ii.         Quality Accounts; and

                      iii.         Suicide Prevention and Mental Health