Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of 12 March be agreed as a correct record. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Julie Johnson and Councillor Barry Rawlings. 

There were none.

There were none.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the minutes of the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 28 March 2014. 

The Committee scrutinised the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Quality Account and wished to put on record the following comments:

·         The Committee noted the high quality of care provided by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

·         The Committee welcomed the fact that the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust had met all of their targets, except the target on C. Difficile.

·         The Committee welcomed the action that the Trust was taking in relation to working with partners to increase dementia awareness, and welcomed the fact that the Trust had a dementia lead.

·         The Committee welcomed the actions being taken to improve quality in relation to dementia as a result of the National Clinical Auditor in 2013/14.

·         The Committee noted that approximately a quarter of inpatients at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust have diabetes, and welcomed the innovative work that the Trust is undertaking in relation to care of patients with diabetes.

·         The Committee welcomed that there were zero attributable cases of MRSA at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust during 2013/14, and are pleased to note that the various methods used to achieve the zero rate are being passed on to other Trusts as examples of best practice.

·         The Committee welcomed that the percentage of staff employed by or under contract to the trust who would recommend the trust as a provider to their family or friends had increased from 72.6% in 2012 to 76.2% in 2013. 

·         The Committee noted that the Performance Indicator for the percentage of patients readmitted to the trust within 28 days of discharge for patients aged (i) 0 to 15 and (ii) 16 or over used old data, and requested that the final version of the Quality Account be updated with any available data from years 2012/13 onwards where possible.

·         The Committee noted that other NHS Trusts tend to include references to complaints, and whilst noting that the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust would be limited by the regulator, advised that they would welcome a section on complaints in the Quality Accounts.

However, the Committee wished to express concern in relation to the following:

·         The Committee noted that the rate per 100,000 bed days of cases of C.Difficile infection that have occurred among patients aged two and over had risen from 19.3 in 2011/12 to 30.5 in 2012/13, compared to the National Average Performance 2012/2013 of 16.3.  The Committee were told that the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust had seen an improvement of those results over the last six months. 

The Committee note the Independent auditor’s limited assurance report to the Council of Governors of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust on the annual quality report and expressed concern over the reporting that a significant proportion of the staff themselves felt bullied, under stress or discriminated against.

·         That the number and rate of patient safety incidents that occurred during the reporting period October 2011 – March 2012 and October 2012 – March 2013 had increased from 451  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Committee considered the Forward Work Programme as set out in the report.

The Chairman invited Julie Pal, the Chief Executive of Community Barnet, and Selina Rodrigues, the Head of HealthWatch Barnet, to the table.  The Chairman noted that the Committee had requested that, following a recent CQC Report, HealthWatch Barnet Enter and View team undertake “Enter and View” visits to two establishments: The Oaks and Silver Birches.  The Chairman advised that these visits would be reported to a future meeting of the Committee. 

Ms. Rodrigues advised the Committee that HealthWatch Barnet were liaising with HealthWatch in both Enfield and Barnet about the possibility of a joint visit.  The Chairman requested that the Committee’s thanks be passed on to the “Enter and View” team.

The Chairman advised that the following items would be placed on the Forward Work Programme for the following municipal year:

·         A report on care following the removal of the Liverpool Care Pathway

·         A report on maternity at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the Forward Work Programme and request that arrangements are made for the above items to be added to the Forward Work Programme for the forthcoming municipal year.

The Chairman invited the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Councillor Helena Hart to the table.

The Committee noted that the Cabinet Member for Public Health had signed the Disabled Children’s Charter.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health provided comment on the Quality Accounts considered at the meeting as follows:

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust:

The Cabinet Member for Public Health advised that issues in relation to staffing would be progressed through a new system of Governance.

Central London Community Healthcare:

The Cabinet Member for Public Health added her concern to that of the Committee’s at the lack of references to Barnet within the Central London Community Healthcare Quality Account.

Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust:

The Cabinet Member for Public Health advised that she had received an e-mail from the Chief Executive of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust dated 7th May 2014 which stated that their performance against the CQC's standards had improved significantly over the last few months and that the  number of non-compliance areas issues had reduced from 11 to 6.  

The Cabinet Member for Public Health advised that there would be an official  launch for the outdoor gyms programme following the local elections.

RESOLVED that:-

1.    The Committee note the Forward Work Programme;

2.    The Committee note the update from the Cabinet Member for Public Health. 

The Chairman expressed her thanks to the Committee for their help and support in all that had been achieved in the past few years, particularly in contributing to the following:-

• The implementation of Alzheimer’s / Dementia training and signage at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals
• 202 new car parking spaces at Barnet Hospital

</AI9>

<TRAILER_SECTION>

The Chairman advised the Committee that she wished to put on record her and the Committee’s thanks to Councillor Schama for his contributions to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee over several years and particularly noted that his Mayor’s Charity Appeal raised nearly £50,000 to help towards Alzheimer’s / Dementia projects at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals.

The Vice Chairman moved that the Committee put on record their thanks to the Chairman for her Committee work over the last year.