Agenda item

To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last meeting. 

56.1           Members received an update from Councillor Mrs J E Day, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on matters discussed at its last meeting held on 15 November 2016.

56.2           Members were advised that the Committee had been pleased to welcome Deborah Lee, Chief Executive of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Keith Norton, a newly appointed Non-Executive Director also from the Trust, to discuss the significant and unexpected deterioration in its reported financial position which had been announced in September.  Ms Lee had acknowledged that there had been a failure of financial governance and, had the Trust, its regulators and auditors acted differently, it would not be in this position.  The sudden nature of the announcement had given rise to the misconception that this situation had developed overnight and she had been clear that the position had developed over time. A high level review of the Trust’s financial position and reporting arrangements had highlighted that there was an insufficient level of financial skills and expertise across the Trust’s Non-Executive Directors; it was important to note that an externally commissioned review of the Board’s arrangements in 2015 had not raised this as an area of concern.  Changes to the Trust Board had already been made and the Committee had been assured that the specification for Non-Executive Directors reflected the need for financial expertise.  The Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group commissioned the services provided by the Trust and, therefore, there would be a continuation of services to the public; the challenge was to do things better and more efficiently.  An independent review of the circumstances that had led to the financial deterioration had been jointly commissioned by the Trust and the regulator NHS Improvement and an extraordinary meeting of the Committee had been set for 30 January 2017 to receive the outcome of the review.

56.3           Councillor Day went on to advise that the Committee had been pleased to discuss the Sustainability and Transformation Plan with the commissioners and providers of health and social care services in Gloucestershire. It was noted that the underlying detail on possible service changes would come forward later in 2017.  At present the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group was leading on an engagement exercise to inform and engage with the public.  The Committee was clear that it intended to follow the progress and implementation of this plan and would be part of any consultation on service change proposals.

56.4           With regard to adult social care and public health performance, Members had welcomed the continued good work and congratulated Forwards Employment Services on winning the employment award at the Gloucestershire Health and Social Care Awards on 8 November 2016.  It had been concerning to note that demand for paid carers was outstripping supply and it was thought that this related to some domiciliary care organisations going out of business.  Performance against Health Checks targets continued to struggle; all GP practices in the county, apart from two, had signed up to deliver these checks.  Advertising the checks and communicating with patients was the responsibility of the GP practice.  A particular factor here was that, no matter how the benefits of these checks were communicated, people could not be forced to take them up.  In terms of performance of the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, cancer targets continued to be a challenge and, whilst there was some improvement in the six week diagnostic target, more needed to be done.  The Chair of Healthwatch Gloucestershire had informed the Committee that it would be working with the Care Quality Commission on the forthcoming inspection of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  It was also undertaking a follow-up to its report on the hospital discharge process and expected to share this with the Committee in the New Year.

56.5           A Member queried whether the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group survey in relation to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan was being promoted in the national press and she was informed that it was on the Group’s website and the link would be in the update which was circulated to Members following the meeting. The Economic and Community Development Manager advised that the consultation was open until the end of February and he had attended a meeting that morning where it had been suggested that an event could be held at the Public Services Centre; he would be happy to go back and confirm these arrangements if Members felt that would be beneficial.

56.6           The Chair indicated that the update would be circulated to Members following the meeting and it was

RESOLVED          1.   That the feedback from the last meeting of the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be NOTED.

2.   That arrangements be made for a consultation event to be held at the Public Services Centre as part of the engagement in relation to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan being led by the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.