Agenda and minutes

The Chairman advised the Committee that rather than ask the Royal Free Hospital to attend yet another Health Scrutiny Committee to discuss the problems with the new parking system at Barnet Hospital, she had suggested that a site visit be arranged.  The Chairman advised the Committee that she had attended a site visit together with Councillor Laurie Williams on 2 April 2015.  The Committee noted that the Chairman had obtained permission from the Council’s Library service to have leaflets outlining the new parking provisions on display at all libraries. The Chairman also informed the Committee that the Trust had now employed an Officer to deal with signage issues on site. 

The Chairman commented that she was still assisting residents who had received parking tickets at Barnet Hospital to get a refund where appropriate.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of 30 March 2015 be agreed as a correct record. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Barry Rawlings, who was substituted for by Councillor Laurie Williams. 

a)    Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Non Pecuniary Interests

The Chairman declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to Agenda Item 7 (NHS Trust Quality Accounts 2014-15) by virtue of being a Chaplain’s Assistant at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital.

Councillor Caroline Stock declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to Agenda Item 7 (NHS Trust Quality Accounts 2014-15)  by virtue of her husband being an Elected Public Governor on the Council of Governors at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. 

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Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust:

The Committee scrutinised the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust Quality Account 2014/15 and wish to put on record the following comments:

·         The Committee noted that the Trust had undertaken their external Monitor Quality Governance Assurance Framework (QGAF) assessment in September 2014 as part of the application for Foundation Trust status. The Committee was pleased to note that the Trust was required to achieve a score of 3.5 in the assessment and actually achieved a score of 3.0.  The Committee commented that it would be helpful for the Trust to explain within the Quality Account that a score of 3.0 was actually better than a score of 3.5.

However:

·         The Committee felt it would be beneficial to include maps within the final draft of the Quality Account.

·         The Committee felt that given that the Trust had received 44 complaints in 2012/13 regarding communication / staff attitude, which reduced to 29 complaints for 2014/15, that an objective of a 10% reduction in complaints of this nature was not ambitious enough.

·         The Committee noted the objective in relation to the Quality Strategy Campaign – Preventing Harm - which aimed to ensure that 95% of incidents will be reviewed by the handler within 7 days, and 100% within 14 days.  The Committee commented that this target should be made more ambitious.

·         The Committee noted that the target of training 80% of staff to be able to give smoking cessation education was an NHS target and suggested that this should be made clearer.

·         The Committee noted the current goals for the Trust’s participation in research for 2014/15 and suggested that completion dates for each research goal should be included.

·         The Committee commented that it would be helpful to include the actions that the Trust had taken in response to the patient story and to include that within the Quality Accounts.

·         The Committee considered the Trust’s performance in relation to Incident Reporting and expressed concern that severe harm cases were “CLCH attributable grade 3 and 4 pressure ulcers”.  The Committee was pleased to note that, whilst pressures ulcers were a problem for the Trust, the Trust had a task force in place to address the issue.

·         The Committee noted that the Trust had included milestones in last year’s Quality Accounts and noted that this was an effective way to draw attention as to whether they were being achieved and to provide an explanation if not.  The Committee suggested that milestones be included in next year’s Quality Account. 

Following consideration of the Quality Account, the Committee also requested that the Trust provide the Committee with the following:

1.    Information on the services that CLCH provide within Barnet

2.    Information as to what would happen to people requiring care at weekends, as set out in the “Patient Story – Continuing Care Team”

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust:

The Committee scrutinised the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Quality Account 2014/15 and wish to put on record the following comments:

·         The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Chairman invited Councillor Helena Hart, the Chairman of the Barnet Health and Well-Being Board to the table.  Councillor Hart provided an update in relation to the Council’s activity on the Health and Well-Being Agenda.

Referring to the NHS Trust Quality Accounts that had just been considered by the Committee, Councillor Hart highlighted the importance of mealtimes for patients with diabetes. 

Councillor Hart noted that during the consideration of the Quality Accounts, Members had noted a lack of continuity between the issues raised by the Committee between one year and the next.  Councillor Hart suggested that prior to the Committee considering the NHS Quality Accounts next year, they could request that the Trusts also provide detailed information on how each issue raised during the consideration of the previous year’s Quality Account had been addressed.

Councillor Hart informed the Committee that there had been a public consultation on the Public Health Commissioning Priorities, which had identified the public’s concerns as being alcohol consumption, obesity and physical activity. 

Councillor Hart advised the Committee on the following in relation to the Barnet Health and Wellbeing Board:

·         The Board would consider a report on the progress of the Better Care Fund pooled budget; the CCG Strategic Plan refresh; the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment; and a report on the progress made with regards to the Winterbourne View Concordat. 

·         The Board would receive the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment at their July meeting.

The Committee noted that a Member had made a previous request to receive a report on Tuberculosis which identified if it is more prevalent among certain groups.  The Director for Public Health (Harrow and Barnet Councils) undertook to provide a report to a future meeting of the Committee.

A Member requested that the Committee receives a report in the name of the Director for Public Health (Harrow and Barnet Councils) on the incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in older people.  The report should also outline what measures could be taken to try to mitigate the problem.  

The Chairman informed the Committee that the North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee sub-group, which comprised of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, would be considering the Quality Account of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust on the 19 May 2015 and that all Members were welcome to attend.   

The Chairman expressed her thanks to Councillor Helena Hart for her work as Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board and to the Governance Service.  The Chairman also expressed her thanks to the Committee for their valuable contributions over the past year and thanked Councillors Old, Rawlings, Mittra, Stock and Williams for attending some of the Health and Wellbeing Board and North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings with her; particularly Councillor Old, who had been a most diligent and supportive Vice Chairman.

The Vice Chairman expressed his thanks to the Chairman for the work that she had done for the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee over the last  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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