Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 19^th January 2010.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 January and 11 May 2010 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any Declarations of Interest from Members.

There were no declarations of interest received.

Purpose: To receive presentations from the NHS Berkshire West and the Council’s Adult Social Care Service to brief Members on the emerging issues and trends that will impact upon future service delivery.

Mrs Beverley Searle (Director of Partnerships & Joint Commissioning, NHS Berkshire West) presented the changes arising from the election of the Coalition Government and the reforms that would affect the health service (Agenda Item 4).  The Powerpoint presentation attached to these minutes at Appendix A. 

Key changes included devolving health budgets to General Practioners (GPs), the abolishment of Strategic Health Authorities and increasing democratic accountability of PCT Board Members. 

Primary Care Trusts may continue to exist as commissioners of complex or specialist services with a strengthened public health role.

Other initiatives to be introduced included the right to choose a GP (extending beyond current geographical restrictions), access to effective 24/7 urgent care and arrangements for monitoring of GP commissioning decisions. 

The importance of regulators for GP commissioning was highlighted as GPs would have a role as both commissioners and providers of services; and monitoring would be critical to ensure quality and equity of access to services.

More detail on the changes would be available on 15^th July when the NHS White Paper was due to be published.

Mrs Searle also tabled two briefing papers one on Specialist Palliative Care to inform the Committee of the public engagement from July to October 2010 and the model of future services created in response to the work done with local stakeholders.

Mrs Searle also briefed Members on “Care for the Future” and the review of urgent care needs, planned procedures and appointments, long-term conditions, end of life care, maternity and paediatrics.   This work was being done across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and it was felt there might be scope for a joint piece of scrutiny work. 

Mrs Amanda Joyce (Head of System Transformation, West Berkshire Council) delivered a presentation on health and social care services (see Appendix B of the minutes) which highlighted the history of joint working locally.  Keeping patients well and out of hospital was a key focus for the NHS and would equally require a whole systems view to be taken; as any alterations to acute hospital services would impact significantly upon the Council’s Home Care services.

Mrs Joyce highlighted the demographic figures which showed numbers in the over 65+ age bracket in West Berkshire increasing by over 200% in the next 25 years.  She highlighted the potential huge demand this could place on Council services.

Mrs Joyce described the proposed new operating model for adult social care services emerging from the Council's Putting People First programme. It would enable the best use to be made of existing resources pending the outcome of the Government's national one year review of the whole adult social care system. Putting People First includes looking at the early stages of intervention, the provision of greater guidance, advice and support to encourage self-help, and the promotion of personalisation, choice and control for people who use services.

RESOLVED that:

(1).      The presentations on the future of health and adult social care services be noted and that the Select Committee be kept abreast of future changes. 

(2).      “Care  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Purpose: To receive the NHS Berkshire West Patient Advice & Liaison Service Annual Report on patients’ enquiries to this service.

Miss Jo Cozens (PALS Manager, NHS Berkshire West) introduced Item 5 (Agenda Item 5) and described how almost 4000 queries had been received by the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) last year; of these approximately 20% of calls were received from West Berkshire residents. Miss Cozens described the seasonal fluctuations in calls, with calls dropping during December and January in the bad weather and snow conditions.  The busiest times were April and July when up to 318 enquiries a month were received.

The most frequently reported concerns were about dentistry provision with 40% of all enquiries being requests to help find an NHS dentist.  This request was made by 337 West Berkshire residents.  Miss Cozens described how West Berkshire was well served with dentists and that NHS Berkshire West had attempted to improve publicity of services including information in supermarkets, GP surgeries, pharmacies, in the press and also advertising on three local taxi cabs.  Miss Cozens also mentioned the three new dental surgeries that had opened and one of which was in Newbury on the London Road.

Members asked about specialist root canal work and whether this could be done at the West Berkshire Community Hospital.  Mrs Searle explained that the drop-in provision at the Community Hospital was designed for those that were not registered with an NHS dentist and was not geared to undertaking specialist root canal treatments.

            RESOLVED that the Patient Advice and Liaison Service Annual Report and the NHS Berkshire West response be noted.

Purpose: To receive an exception report for the missed health and wellbeing Local Area Agreement (LAA) target in relation to carers’ needs assessments.  A Powerpoint presentation will be provided at the meeting to give more information in relation to the missed target around mortality rates from circulatory diseases.  

Members received an update from Mrs Searle on the mortality rates from circulatory disease in West Berkshire.  She described how annual reporting showed fluctuations from the Local Area Agreement target but that overall there was a downward trend in mortality rates. 

Mrs Searle described the other factors linked to mortality from circulatory diseases, including deprivation, poor diet, smoking, etc. and explained how many of these changes to behaviour required long term cultural and behavioural changes.

Mrs Jan Evans (Head of Adult Social Care) outlined the problems in achieving carers’ needs assessments in the last year in the exception report (Agenda Item 6).  She described how the target had been missed by 29 people although the needs of over 1000 carers had been assessed last year. 

Mrs Evans explained how it was the right approach to support carers as much as possible and highlighted that there had been good response by Practice Managers about the provision of training to GPs to help them support carers better.  Members welcomed this feedback. 

            RESOLVED that the efforts made to achieve missed Local Area Agreement targets be accepted and noted. 

Purpose: To receive the review of Autistic Spectrum Disorders in West Berkshire and action plan for the future.

Mrs Jan Evans introduced the Review of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (Agenda Item 7).  She described the extensive review undertaken of support provided to those with Autism and also the analysis done to identify gaps in services.  She highlighted the areas the Council needed to address and in particular reviewing current services against the National Autism Society’s standards.  This has resulted in an Action Plan to be taken forward by the Autism Partnership Board who would look at making improvements in West Berkshire.

Mrs Evans described two significant areas of work as being around providing access to employment for adults with Autism and better training for staff.  The Partnership Board was due to set timescales for implementing these recommendations.

RESOLVED that the Review and Action Plan in relation to Autistic Spectrum Disorders in West Berkshire be noted.

Purpose: To receive the work programme for the forthcoming municipal year (2010/11).

The Chairman introduced the Work Programme (Agenda Item 8) which had been agreed with the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission.  Members were asked if they wanted to see any items added in addition to the outline work programme.

RESOLVED that:

1.       The work programme be approved for the new municipal year.

2.       NHS “Care for the Future” review be added to the Work Programme.