Agenda item

(To receive a report from Simon Evans (Health Scrutiny Officer) which invites the Committee to consider and comment on its work programme and also advises on the changes to the overview and scrutiny arrangements at Lincolnshire County Council)

Consideration was given to a report by the Health Scrutiny Officer which gave the Committee the opportunity to consider its work programme and also advised on the changes to the overview and scrutiny arrangements at Lincolnshire County Council.

On 16 December 2016, Lincolnshire County Council approved the outcomes of a review of overview and scrutiny which would lead to the establishment of the following overview and scrutiny committees from May 2017:-

·       Overview and Scrutiny Management Board;

·       Adult Care and Public Health Scrutiny Committee;

·       Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee;

·       Communities and Public Protection Scrutiny Committee;

·       Environment, Economy and Transport Scrutiny Committee;

·       Flood and Drainage Management Scrutiny Committee; and

·       Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

The agreed Terms of Reference for the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire were reported, following approval by Full Council on 24 February 2017.  The Health Scrutiny Committee would continue with the same membership arrangements as at present (eight County Councillors; seven District Councillors; and one non-voting Healthwatch Lincolnshire representative).  The Committee would continue to meet on a monthly basis, with the exception of August, and meetings would be held on Wednesdays. 

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee would continue to be appointed at the first meeting in each municipal year. 

The Adult Care and Public Health Scrutiny Committee and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee had remits which also embraced health matters.  The responsibility of the Adult Care and Public Health Scrutiny Committee would include scrutiny of wellbeing services, including health improvement, prevention and self-management; and the prevention, treatment and recovery elements of the substance misuse services as well as the statutory public health services.  The Adult Care and Public Health Scrutiny Committee would also continue to undertake the lead role in scrutinising the Better Care Fund (BCF) and activities supporting the integration of health and social care.

The responsibility of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee would include scrutiny of the school nursing service; the healthy schools and healthy child programmes; and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which were commissioned by the County Council on behalf of the Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Groups.

It was noted that the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire would continue as the statutory health overview and scrutiny committee to fulfil all the functions outlined in the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013.  This included all the powers relating to consultation by the commissioners of NHS-funded health care as set out in Regulation 23.

There would be circumstances where the remits of these committees would overlap and, in the first instance, resolved by the respective chairmen or more formally by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, which would seek to avoid duplication of activity.

The County Council would also establish two scrutiny panels to undertake in-depth scrutiny review activity on behalf of the overview and scrutiny committees.  Should the Health Scrutiny Committee wish to undertake an in-depth review, a scrutiny panel would undertake that review on its behalf.  The Health Scrutiny Committee would remain the accountable entity and approve the final review report in addition to undertaking all follow-up review activity.

Informal working groups may still be established by the Health Scrutiny Committee as this was particularly useful for considering the detail and drafting of responses to detailed documents.  It was noted that in most instances, working group outcomes and reports would be approved by the subsequent meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee.

District Council Members were asked to note the approved Committee dates for 2017/18, as noted below:-

·       Wednesday 14 June 2017;

·       Wednesday 19 July 2017;

·       Wednesday 13 September 2017;

·       Wednesday 11 October 2017;

·       Wednesday 8 November 2017;

·       Wednesday 13 December 2017;

·       Wednesday 17 January 2018;

·       Wednesday 21 February 2018;

·       Wednesday 21 March 2018;

·       Wednesday 18 April 2018; and

·       Wednesday 16 May 2018.

RESOLVED

1.    That the work programme and, in particular, those items suggested for carry forward in to the new County Council Term be agreed; and

2.    That the new, approved, structure of Lincolnshire County Council's overview and scrutiny committees, with minor changes to the terms of reference of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire, be noted.

The Chairman thanked the Committee for their continued support over the last four years and confirmed that she had valued their support and friendship.

Councillor T M Trollope-Bellew advised that he would not be standing for re-election in the forthcoming elections and asked that it be noted that, as the original chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire, had enjoyed his time on the Committee.  He wished the Committee well for the future and urged that the work of the committee in holding the NHS to account continued.

On behalf of the Committee, Councillor Mrs S M Wray thanked Councillor Mrs C A Talbot for being an excellent Chairman and steering the Committee through its work.