MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE PARTNERSHIP BOARD FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, 30 JANUARY 2002 COMMENCING AT 10.00 AM
Present :
Mr P Bingham - Chairman - Isle of Wight and Hampshire Health Authority
Isle of Wight Council
Mr J A Bowker, Mr M C Cunningham, Mr R Mazillius
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Health Authority
Ms G Edwards
Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust
Mrs V A Anderson, Mr D Crawley
Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust
Mr A Munds
Voluntary Sector
Mrs P Lee, Ms S Nehorai, Ms C Piggott
Community Health Council
Mrs G Squibb
Also in Attendance :
Mr C Waddicor, Mr T Geeson, Mrs B Herbert - Isle of Wight Council
Mrs E Garrett - Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust/Isle of Wight Council
Apologies :
Dr M Denman-Johnson, Mr G Elderfield, Ms P Humphries, Mr A Kaye, Dr P Old
16. MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 13 September 2001 be confirmed.
17. FUTURE MEMBERSHIP OF THE PARTNERSHIP BOARD AND LINKS TO THE STRATEGIC HEALTH AUTHORITY
Members of the Board were advised of the need to amend the Constitution of the Board due to changes in the status of the Primary Care Trust as a result of the national reorganisation of National Health Service organisations which would come into effect on 1 April 2002. The planned changes in the functions of the new Strategic Health Authorities and the Primary Care Trust were referred to. The Chairman advised the Board of his appointment as Chairman of the Strategic Health Authority covering the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. The Board expressed their congratulations to the Chairman on his appointment.
RESOLVED :
THAT it be approved that with effect from 1 April 2002
(i) the Strategic Health Authority for the Isle of Wight and Hampshire to take on observer status membership;
(ii) Cllr R G Mazillius be elected Chairman for the ensuing year;
(iii) Mrs V Anderson be elected Vice Chairman for the ensuing year.
18. HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNISATION PLAN 2002 - 2005
The joint report of the Chief Executive of the IW Primary Care Trust and the Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing was received providing an update on the proposed format and timetable for the development of the new Island Health Improvement and Modernisation Plan (HIMP). The new format, which would reduce the size of the plan significantly, aimed to focus on important priorities for improving health and well-being and health and social care services. The plan would contain cross references to other more detailed documents and strategies and provide contacts for those documents.
Members of the Board noted that the NHS Plan was now a key driver for the content of the HIMP which explained the rationale behind the proposed timetable outlined for its development. The proposed timetable, which had been approved by the Primary Care Trust Board at a recent meeting, should allow time for the health and social care elements of the Community Strategy to develop in tandem. From April 2002, tasks would be devolved from the Health Authority to the Primary Care Trust as the Strategic Health Authority was established. By completing the HIMP during the summer of 2002 any new responsibilities could be reflected within the plan.
RESOLVED :
THAT the report be noted.
19. THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Representatives from the Voluntary Sector provided an oral report on the opportunities for the Board to consult and disseminate information regarding health and social service issues through the voluntary sector. The Rural Community Council was the Island’s only Council for Voluntary Service which, as an umbrella organisation, represented, co-ordinated and developed many of the Voluntary Sector organisations on the Island. The mutual benefits which could be obtained by establishing a closer working arrangement with health and social services was highlighted and questions were raised as to how this could be achieved.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT a report from the Voluntary Sector be a standing item on the agenda for the Partnership Board;
(ii) THAT a meeting of representatives from the Primary Care Trust, the Isle of Wight Councils’ Social Services Directorate and the Voluntary Sector be arranged to facilitate further discussion on the issue.
20. DEVELOPING THE HEALTH SCRUTINY ROLE OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL
The Board were referred to the Consultation Document ‘Local Authority Health Overview and Scrutiny’ published by the Department of Health and to the Briefing paper produced by the Audit Commission circulated to members. It was reported that the Health and Social Care Act had given local authority overview and scrutiny committees the power to report on matters relating to health services in their area. This included calling in representatives of local NHS Bodies for questioning. The aim of this was to increase patient and public involvement locally in health. Authorities needed to work with other agencies to establish local objectives and priorities for scrutiny and to adopt approaches to scrutiny which would ensure the process added value locally.
Members agreed that scrutiny could play a key role in improving local health and health services providing it adopted a challenging but constructive style. It was highlighted that the Government had high aims to involve all sections of the Community in this initiative. However the ever increasing workload of elected members and officers from both the Health Authority and the Council was becoming overwhelming. It was considered that the Government should be urged to provide extra financial resources for training, staff support and partnership mechanisms to be established by which the scrutiny process could be carried out in a meaningful manner. Comments on the Consultation Document were requested to be forwarded to Hazel Blears MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary, Department of Health by the deadline of 16 April 2002. It was proposed that a meeting of representatives from health, social services, the Community Health Council and the RCC be established to facilitate a co-ordinated response to the initiative and to provide a partnership approach to ensure that the Government’s objectives for health scrutiny could be successfully introduced.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT a Working Group be established to consider how the scrutiny of health services on the island might be implemented;
(ii) THAT a further report be presented to the next meeting of the Partnership Board.
21. LINKS BETWEEN THE LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AND THE PARTNERSHIP BOARD
In an oral report the Head of Paid Service, Isle of Wight Council provided an update in establishing the Islands’ Futures Partnership which aimed to bring together partnerships and providers, to ensure partnerships know how they fit into the wider picture, guide the development and implementation of the Community Strategy and to develop a Public Service Agreement. Members welcomed the report and supported the proposed aims for the Partnership.
RESOLVED :
THAT the report be noted.
22. ISLE OF WIGHT COMMUNITY STRATEGY - KEY THEMES FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
As part of the Island Futures public consultation exercise a questionnaire had been circulated widely through a number of public events and public facilities on the Island. The public were invited to indicate as to whether they agreed or disagreed with three statements relating to health and social care. To date 1,130 responses had been received, with over 31% indicating that health and social care were important issues for them. This was one of the higher response areas. Respondents were also invited to make additional comments about areas of concern. The joint report of the Chief Executive of the IW Primary Care Trust and the Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing set out details of the issues raised. Work had commenced on drafting the Community Strategy and a number of key objectives would be incorporated into the strategy, to be addressed over the plan’s implementation period, as a result of the issues raised. It was noted that the Health Improvement and Modernisation Plan would provide the detailed plans with which to address the target areas.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT the report be noted;
(ii) THAT the Joint Planning Manager - Health Improvement be thanked for all her hard work and efforts.
23. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
RESOLVED :
THAT the next meeting be held on Monday, 15 April 2002 commencing at 2.00 pm.
24. FORMAL VOTE OF THANKS
Members wished to record a formal vote of thanks to the Mr P Bingham as, due to the reorganisation changes, this would the last meeting he would attend as Chairman and to Ms G Edwards.
RESOLVED :
THAT Mr P Bingham and Ms G Edwards be thanked for their contribution to the work of the Partnership Board.
CHAIRMAN