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

72.1           Members received an update from Councillor Janet Day, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on matters discussed at its last meeting held on 9 January 2018.

72.2           Councillor Day advised that the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee was a statutory consultee on any substantial development of the health service in Gloucestershire.  The consultation on Health and Wellbeing for the Future: Community Hospital Services in the Forest of Dean had been launched at the meeting on 12 September 2017 and the outcome report had been presented to the meeting on 9 January 2018.  The preferred option consulted upon was to invest in a new community hospital in the Forest of Dean which would replace the Dilke Memorial Hospital and Lydney and District Hospital.  The Committee’s role in the development of the proposal was to confirm whether it was satisfied that the consultation process had been undertaken in line with statutory requirements, and was appropriate and proportionate, and to feedback on key issues it wished to see fully considered by the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group within their decision-making process.  The Committee had received a detailed presentation on the consultation process - including engagement activity - and the main findings.  The concerns raised by the Committee during the debate reflected those identified in the consultation outcome report: number of beds; transport issues; housing developments – including the impact of the removal of tolls on the Severn Bridge by the end of 2020; insufficient detail overall; and a lack of clarity as to why the shared investment suggestion was unviable.  Whilst the Committee was satisfied that the consultation process had been appropriate and proportionate, Members expected the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group to give serious consideration to their wider concerns during the decision-making process.  The Committee had asked to be kept informed of progress.

 72.3          The Committee had also received a performance report from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.  An update was provided on the Ambulance Response Programme, in particular the new ambulance response standards.  Members were informed that the Trust had been part of the initial pilot and there had been improvements in productivity and efficiency since that time with less vehicles being sent to each incident, freeing up resources to attend more patients.  The Committee had also received a report from the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group and had questioned whether the Winter Plan was working.  Members were informed that it had been challenging - particularly between Christmas and New Year - but it had been the most robust winter so far in Gloucestershire.  The Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust was the last in the region to escalate to level 4 but had been back to level 2 with two days, and the four hour accident and emergency standard had been achieved in both November and December 2017.  It was noted that NHS England had issued a directive for the cancellation of all non-urgent operations; however, the Trust had been allowed to apply local discretion and had therefore continued to perform operations and hold outpatient clinics.  Members were advised that 80 routine operations had been performed every day; 14 had been cancelled but, due to winter planning, patients had been given advance notice.  The Trust was the only major centre undertaking trauma and orthopaedic operations on 2 January 2018.

72.4           A Member questioned whether the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust worked with the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and what it did to help.  The Chief Executive advised that the Fire and Rescue Service had been taking on more community activity in order to support health services and he suggested that the Committee may wish to have a presentation from County Fire Officers at some stage. Councillor Day undertook to find out what work was currently being done with the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and to report back following the meeting.

72.5           It was

RESOLVED          That the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee Update be NOTED.