Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Emma Price and Philip Woodhouse.

There were no declarations.

To elect a Chairman in accordance with Standing Order 29.

Members were invited to elect a Chairman in accordance with Standing Order 29. A list of Members eligible to stand was read out and Wendy Mead, being the only Member indicating her willingness to serve, was declared to have been elected for the ensuing year.

The Chairman welcomed Randall Anderson as a new Member and thanked outgoing Members Dhruv Patel, Judith Pleasance, Tom Sleigh, and Adam Richardson.

To elect a Chairman in accordance with Standing Order 30.

Members were invited to elect a Deputy Chairman in accordance with Standing Order 30. A list of Members eligible to stand was read out and Randall Anderson, being the only Member indicating his willingness to serve, was declared to have been elected for the ensuing year.

To elect one INEL JHOSC representative.

RESOLVED – That the Chairman be appointed as the Inner NE London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Representative, with the Deputy Chairman deputising where necessary.

To co-opt two representatives from Healthwatch in line with the Sub Committee’s  terms of reference.

RESOLVED – that Steve Stevenson and Lynn Strother be co-opted as representatives for Healthwatch.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 5 May 2015.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 May 2015 be agreed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

In response to a Member’s query, it was noted that letters to Mark Field MP and the Managing Director of Boots had been sent, but no response from the latter had yet been received.

Verbal update of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Sub Committee received a letter from the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Committee Chair in her role as Chair  of the Inner North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (INEL JHOSC) to Barts Health NHS Trust regarding the Quality Accounts. Members commended the specific mention of ‘failing administrative and support systems’, and ‘managing and learning from complaints’ that had been raised by City representatives on INEL JHOSC.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning and Partnerships gave a verbal update regarding the INEL JHOSC meeting held on 27 May 2015. Barts Health NHS Trust and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had been in attendance, and the Committee had queried them both on the recent inspection results. Key points raised at the meeting were:

·         CQC advised re-inspections would be carried out within 12 months;

·         Barts were moving away from Clinical Advisory Groups (CAGs) to a more site-based  management system;

·         The impact on the finances of the Trust from the changes proposed by Barts Health to remedy the shortfalls identified by CQC was unclear; and

·         Barts Health Trust had agreed to report back to the INEL JHOSC later in the year.

The INEL JHOSC had also agreed to write to Tower Hamlets and Newham Care Commissioning Groups (CCGs) expressing the Committee’s concern at their responses thus far to the CQC inspection reports.

RESOLVED – That the update be noted.

Verbal update of the Town Clerk.

Members were advised that the Town Clerk, Director of Community & Children’s Services, and Comptroller & City Solicitor had met to discuss the future governance of the Sub Committee, and the Town Clerk was currently drafting new terms of reference to be reviewed.

RESOLVED – That the update be noted.

Report of NHS England.

The Chairman welcomed AttractaAsika from NHS England and John Wardell from Tower Hamlets CCG to the meeting. The Chairman introduced the discussion, advising Sub Committee Members of the previous lack of consultation regarding changes being made to the health services being delivered from the Portsoken Site, and seeking assurances from NHS England and Tower Hamlets CCG that the City of London would be involved fully in consultations regarding future changes (i.e. the move to Goodman’s Field).

Ms Asika apologised that this item had been deferred from the last meeting, and offered the apologies of NHS England for the lack of consultation. She advised that the speed and complexity of the changes had resulted in an oversight during consultations, but assured the Sub Committee that this would not happen again and, at the Chairman’s request, undertook to write to Ward Members to apologise for the mistake. Mr Wardell followed on from this, asserting that any proposed changes would be brought before this Sub Committee in the future.

Mr Wardell reported that the vision for primary care was still in the early stages, but building of the new site at Goodman’s Fields was scheduled to begin in January 2016. He advised that the timescale for completion was anticipated for 2020, though this was subject to change. The Assistant Director advised Members that the lease on the Portsoken Community Health Centre was due to expire in 2018, and Mr Wardell undertook to discuss the options for securing alternative provision of health services with City of London Corporation officers until 2020. The Chairman requested that the use of the word “temporary” be reviewed to ensure residents’ expectations weren’t raised as to how quickly the new Health Centre would be operating, but to also assure them that the build was progressing. Members agreed the

Report of the City and Hackney CCG.

The Chairman welcomed David Maher from City & Hackney CCG, Michael McGhee from the East London NHS Foundation Trust, and Dr Waleed Fawzi a Consultant for Old Age Psychiatry to the meeting. 

Mr Maher reported that a briefing had been held for Sub Committee Members in September 2014 to discuss the consultation regarding the proposed changes to the Functional Older Adult Inpatient Services in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, with the preference to merge two inpatient wards onto one site at Mile End Hospital. Mr Maher advised that the consultation started on 16 December 2014 and ran until 27 March 2015, and the results were before Members.

The Sub Committee discussed the views raised, highlighting issues regarding transport and carer duties, and the interim concerns of Hackney and Tower Hamlets Healthwatches regarding the clinical environment of the Mile End site. Members raised their concern over the lack of organised activities on wards at Mile End Hospital, and Mr McGhee confirmed that there was a full programme of events for each site and undertook to circulate this to Members. Mr Maher advised that the lack of stimulation was an issue highlighted during the consultation, and City and Hackney CCG and ELFT would work together to address this.

Members noted that City and Hackney CCG had agreed to report back to the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission at the end of Phase One in January 2016 and seek approval for Phase Two. The Sub Committee supported this proposal. Officers undertook to liaise with the London Borough of Hackney to facilitate a joint discussion at that meeting, and Members requested a site visit be arranged.

RESOLVED – That:

(a)  The programme of events available at Mile End Hospital be circulated to Members;

(b)  Officers liaise with the London Borough of Hackney to facilitate a joint

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services providing an update on the implementation of the Care Act 2014 and the current position of the Better Care Fund.

The Care Act introduced wide-ranging and significant reform to the adult social care system, with an aim to modernise the system and keep pace with the demands of a growing older population. The Act also introduced significant funding reform, with the introduction of a cap on the amount people had to spend on their care, regardless of how much they had in savings or assets.

In June 2013 the Government launched the Better Care Fund, a pooled budget to help integrate health and social care services at a local level. The City of London submitted a bid to the fund in September 2014 and this received full approval from NHS England in January 2015. The City of London and CCG pooled budget was £777,000, a one-off budget for joint City of London and LB Hackney integrated care schemes and for projects to be commissioned by the City.

Members noted that many of the provisions came into force in April 2015, with the remaining provisions (mainly related to funding reform) coming into force in April 2016. Many of the changes formalised practices the City already carried out, but an Implementation Group had been set up to ensure that the City of London was compliant with all areas of the Act. Members also noted that the Better Care Fund plans would begin to be implemented from April 2015.

Members discussed the Act, noting the challenges regarding identifying and raising awareness of the financial reform, particularly amongst people who currently paid for their own care (self-funders), and ensuring there was enough choice for people given the size of the market

Report of Healthwatch City of London.

The Sub Committee received a report from Steve Stevenson, and discussed the patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE) Healthwatch had undertaken.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED – That, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that the involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

            Item Nos.                                                        Exempt Paragraph(s)  
              17-18                                                                             -

There were no questions.

There was no other business.