Issue - meetings

The Chairman introduced the report which provided a mid-year update on the progress made following the receipt of the Committee’s comments on the Quality Accounts for the following organisations:

·       North London Hospice

·       Central London Community Hospital

·       The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Governance Officer advised the Committee and the representatives of the organisations listed above:

“The National Health Service (Quality Accounts) Regulations 2010 is the relevant piece of law that outlines the requirements for the management of Quality Accounts.  It says that HOSCs are required to submit their comments on Quality Accounts for inclusion prior to the Account being published.  The deadline for this is 30 June. 

Ordinarily, Barnet’s HOSC has always sought to send the Committee’s comments to the organisations as early as possible.  We understand that it is a complex and timely process to produce a Quality Account and that organisations also need to make allowances for their own internal deadlines.  However, in May 2018, all Members of the Council will be up for re-election and, as such, they cannot be appointed to Committees until the first meeting of the Full Council. In Barnet’s case, this is scheduled to be on Tuesday 22 May.  We expect that Barnet HOSC will meet on Thursday 24 May to consider the Quality Accounts, which means that we can draft the comments the following day and ask to Members to review them over the Bank Holiday weekend.  We can provide the comments to the Organisations at around lunchtime on Tuesday 29 May.  This is later than we would normally submit comments for inclusion within the Accounts, although technically comments submitted up to 30 June are required to be included. 

Please be advised therefore that we will be unable to provide you with comments at the usual earlier date.

This is something that will affect all HOSCs in London and so I wanted to take the opportunity to flag this in front of senior Health colleagues from all relevant organisations six months in advance, so that you have time to prepare. 

I will contact each organisation outside the meeting about this information.  However, I wanted to put this on record at this meeting for the purposes of good governance.” 

North London Hospice:

The Chairman invited the following to the table:

·       Miranda Fairhurst - Assistant Director Quality

·       Fran Deane - Director of Clinical Services

Ms. Deane referred to the Hospice’s “Hard to Reach Groups” programme, which aims to promote equal access to services for all potential users.  Ms. Deane noted that this was a priority for improvement and that the Hospice had been receiving data within all three Boroughs that the Hospice serves. 

Ms. Deane noted the when the Committee had reviewed the Hospice’s Quality Account last year, they had been informed about the introduction of an “Outcome Star”, currently named the “End of Life Star”.  Ms. Deane informed the Committee that this work had been slightly delayed as the Hospice was waiting for NHS Ethics approval but it was hoped  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7