Agenda item

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Committee meeting and made the following announcements:-

a)            Message from the Chairman, Councillor Mrs Christine Talbot

The Vice-Chairman read out a statement from the Chairman Mrs C A Talbot which thanked those members who had sent 'Get Well' messages, and for all the support received prior to her operation.  The Committee was advised that Councillor Mrs Talbot was now at home recovering from her operation.

b)            Revised Agenda

That a revised agenda had been issued on Friday, to contain the report relating to the Annual General Meetings and Public Meetings, which was detailed at item 9 of the revised agenda. 

Thanks were extended to Councillors T Boston, J Kirk, and S L W Palmer, who had each attended one of the annual meetings, and whose reports were contained as part of item 9.

c)            Congenital Heart Disease Services – East Midlands Congenital Heart        Centre

Following the last meeting and in accordance with Minute 27, the Chairman had sent a letter to Will Huxter on 29 September 2016, which had included an invitation for him to attend the Committee on 21 December 2016.  It was highlighted that to date, no response had been received however, two further developments had occurred, one was that a briefing paper from NHS England dated 1 September 2016, had come to light on 10 October 2016.  The Committee noted that NHS England had not sent the briefing paper directly to local authority overview and scrutiny committees, but had relied on a third party.  The Committee noted further that the briefing paper contained a commitment from NHS England to undertake a full public consultation; and a copy of the Chairman's announcements would be forwarded on to members of the Committee after the meeting.

The second development was that on 19 October 2016, there had been a thirty-minute debate in Westminster Hall concerning the Glenfield Hospital.  Philip Dunne, the Minister of State at the Department of Health had responded to debate on behalf of the Government, and it had been confirmed that there was an intention for a three-month public consultation by NHS England, which would conclude in the spring of 2017.

d)                 Community Pharmacy 2016/17 and Beyond: Final Package

The Committee was reminded that consultation by the Government earlier in the year on 'Community Pharmacy 2016/17 and Beyond', to which the Chairman had responded on behalf of the Committee on 27 April 2016.  The Government had on 20 October 2016 announced that there would be an overall funding reduction of £113 million, or 4% in the current financial year 2016/17, which would then be followed by a further reduction of 3.4% in 2017/18.

The Government had also announced that it would be removing the basic establishment payment of £23,000, paid to each pharmacy, but would be introducing a Pharmacy Access Scheme to protect pharmacies in rural areas.  The scheme would apply to a pharmacy which was more than a mile away from its nearest pharmacy; and the pharmacy was not in the top 25% in terms of the number of prescriptions it dispensed.  It was noted that the Government had said that support under this scheme would be on average £1,500 for each pharmacy each month.  Further consideration would be required by the Health Scrutiny Committee in the coming months.

e)                  Proposed Merger of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS      Foundation Trust with Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust – Full             Business Care for Merger

The Committee noted that the Working Group was due to meet on Wednesday 2 November 2016, to consider the Full Business Case for the merger of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust.  The Committee noted that Councillors T M Trollope-Bellew and Mrs S M Wray were due to attend together with local Councillors D Brailsford and R L Foulkes.  It was noted further that the Trust's Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive were also expected to attend the Working Group.

f)             Care Quality Commission – State of Health and Care Report

It was reported that on 12 October 2016, the Care Quality Commission had published 'The State of Health and Adult Social Care in England 2015/16'.  The said report had received national media coverage; and had provided an overview of all inspection activity undertaken by the Care Quality Commission.  The Committee was advised that copies of the report would also be circulated with the announcements from the meeting.

g)            Adults Scrutiny Committee – 19 October 2016

The Committee was advised that on 19 October 2016, the County Council's Adults Scrutiny Committee had considered a report concerning Delayed Transfers of Care, which had been submitted by the County Council's Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing.  Thanks were extended to Councillors J Kirk and Mrs J M Renshaw who had attended the meeting as observers.  In addition, Councillor R Kirk and Mrs S Wray had also been in attendance at the Committee as members.  The Adults Scrutiny Committee had expressed a view that the Health Scrutiny Committee should continue to scrutinise this matter.

Both Councillors who attended the meeting as observers expressed their disappointment to the outcome from the Adults Scrutiny Committee.

h)           South Park Branch Surgery

The Committee was advised that on 28 September 2016, the Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group announced that the Heath Surgery in Bracebridge Heath had started a consultation on a proposal to close its branch surgery at South Park in Lincoln.  It was reported that the reasons for the closure was because the surgery building needed a considerable amount of investment to meet required standards, and there had also been other challenges for the surgery, which had been widely reported in the local media. It was reported further that the Heath Surgery believed that the closure would enable consistency of care with less reliance on locum staff.  Patients had been asked to give their thoughts on the proposals by 28 October 2016.

i)             Forty Treatments That Bring Little or No Benefits to Patients

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges had on 24 October 2016, published a paper entitled 'Forty Treatments That Bring Little or No Benefits' as part of its Choosing Wisely initiative.  It was noted that the list of treatments had been compiled with the assistance of the relevant specialists, and included the use of plaster casts for wrist fractures in children and the use of x-rays for lower back pain, where there were no other concerning factors.

j)              Upgrade of Radiotherapy Equipment

The Committee noted that on 25 October 2016, NHS England had announced a £130 million investment to upgrade radiotherapy equipment across England.  It was noted further that around four in ten of all NHS cancer patients were treated with radiotherapy, which typically use high-energy radiation from a machine called a linear accelerator (referred to as a 'Linac').  The Committee was advised that over the next two years, that older Linac radiotherapy equipment being used by hospitals across the country would be upgraded, or replaced.

k)            Dr Tony Hill

The Committee was advised that Dr Tony Hill, the County Council's Director of Public Health had retired on 14 October 2016.  The Chairman had written to Dr Tony wishing him well in his retirement.  It was reported that Tony McGinty had been appointed as the interim Director of Public Health.