Issue - meetings

To consider the Call In of the above decision.

In accordance with the Scrutiny Procedure Rules, a valid notice had been submitted which required this Committee to consider and, if appropriate, offer advice on the decision taken by Cabinet on 19 July 2010 concerning the implementation of the Living with Dementia Strategy and the closure of Cypress House, Handforth. The Chairman advised Members of the procedure to be followed, and the options available to the Committee, as set out in the report included in the agenda.

On behalf of the Members who had signed the call in notice, Councillor D Flude outlined the basis for the call in, namely that the business case to develop further sites in Macclesfield and Congleton jointly with the Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) might not be achievable, due to financial constraints and the proposed abolition of PCT’s in 2013. It was also felt that insufficient opportunity had been given to the Committee in its overview role to examine the development of the Dementia Policy, from which the decision to close Cypress House had arisen.

Councillor R Domleo, as the Portfolio Holder for Adult Services, outlined to the Committee the reasons for the decision taken by the Cabinet with regard to the Living with Dementia Strategy, and the specific proposal to close Cypress House. The report considered by the Cabinet, which set out the issues and options, together with the full decision of Cabinet had been circulated to the Committee to provide the necessary detailed information. Cabinet took the view that, although social care redesign had made the delivery of services more efficient, more remained to be done to remove spare capacity from the system. The under utilisation of beds in Cypress House made it necessary to consider the future provision there, particularly as sufficient alternative and suitable facilities were available in the locality. The closure of Cypress House could be agreed without any diminution of service to users and carers.

The Portfolio Holder indicated that the proposed changes could, if necessary, be delivered prior to 2013 without the active engagement of health partners, although it was understood that the PCT was already beginning to discuss with GP Practice Consortia the future direction and delivery of key projects including the changes relating to the Dementia Strategy. It would be regrettable if structural changes in the NHS were to have a detrimental effect on the need to provide a more relevant and effective pattern of provision for dementia sufferers. The call in, whilst raising these issues, did not in the Cabinet Member’s view say how the financial constraints and structural changes would impact on the decision to close Cypress House.

Members of the Committee asked a number of questions, which covered the following issues:

• Whether the consultations on the closure of Cypress House dealt with the financial constraints faced by the authority and the impact on the neighbourhood, as well as the implications for service users and carers

• Whether customers who required intermediate care following discharge from hospital could still  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59