Agenda and minutes

Councillor G Walton, local Member for Bucklow Ward

P Lloyd, Director of Adults, Community, Health and Wellbeing

S Shorter, Head of Care4ce

F Field, Director of Governance and Strategic Planning, Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust

M Flynn, Scrutiny Team

D J French, Scrutiny Team

N Evans, NHS Blackpool

A Collier, NHS Blackpool

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests or members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED:  That the following declarations of interest be noted:

      Councillor R Domleo,  declared a Personal and Prejudicial Interest in respect of item 7 – Implications of the proposed closure of Riseley Street, The Willows, Macclesfield and Tatton Ward, Knutsford – in accordance with paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Member Code of Conduct and left the meeting;

      Councillors S Jones, B Livesley, B Silvester, A Thwaite, declared a personal interest in item 7 on the grounds that they were members of the Future Healthcare Project Knutsford and Congleton Task/Finish Panel.

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research, it would be helpful if members of the public notified the Scrutiny officer listed at the foot of the agenda, at least one working day before the meeting with brief details of the matter to be covered.

Mr Laurie Burton, Chairman of the Knutsford Town Plan Implementation Committee (KTPIC) addressed the Committee in relation to item 7 “Implications of the proposed closure of Riseley Street, The Willows, Macclesfield and the Tatton Ward, Knutsford”.

Mr Burton explained that he was concerned about the temporary closure of Tatton Ward which had resulted in the Cabinet decision to agree to the temporary closure of Bexton Court.  He was concerned that such temporary closures could become permanent; and that other facilities provided at the Knutsford Community Hospital site, such as the Stanley Centre, would be reviewed.  

Mr Burton explained that it was difficult to understand the rationale behind closing facilities that had had significant investment in them in the past – he understood £1million had been spent in 1996 on fitting out the Community Hospital and a further £40,000 spent refurbishing the Tatton Ward wing in 2007.  He also understood that Bexton Court was the only specialist dementia provision in the north of the Borough and to replace such provision, even temporarily, would result in conversion costs to another facility. 

The Knutsford Town Plan’s Action Plan had identified as a priority the retention of local social care services “particularly Bexton Court as a specialist dementia care respite centre” and the upgrading of the Community Hospital.  He urged that the Knutsford Town Plan Implementation Committee be included in any future consultation around health and social care provision in the Knutsford area.

To consider a report of the Head of Strategic Commissioning and Safeguarding.

The Committee considered a report of the Head of Strategic Commissioning and Safeguarding on the implications of the proposed closure of Riseley Street and The Willows, in Macclesfield and the Tatton Ward, Knutsford Community Hospital.

The report outlined that Riseley Street provided short break accommodation for adults with a learning disability and their carers.  The Willows provided support to adults experiencing mental ill health during the day through providing meaningful activities that assist in stabilising mental health and well being.

The proposal to close Riseley Street meant there would be no health respite provision in Cheshire East borough as current users would access health respite at Crook Lane, Winsford.  The proposals were currently in the middle of a consultation period and joint reviews were being undertaken of service users to establish health and social care needs, including a Carers Assessment if required.  It was recognised that the building was not suitable.  It was proposed that a joint review with the Primary Care Trust should be undertaken to investigate the potential for providing respite provision jointly with step up and step down support included, and taking into account anticipated numbers of people requiring building based services as opposed to opting for a personal budget.

The Willows focused on enabling people to recover from mental ill health and engage in the community.  Individual reviews of current users would be undertaken and until these were completed the impact on social care would be difficult to assess.  These reviews would have an impact on the Community Mental Health Teams who would have to ensure capacity to undertake such reviews within their workload.

In relation to the Tatton Ward, the Committee was advised that the ward provided intermediate care beds for Older People who required a health input.  The Committee had been advised at its previous meeting that the East Cheshire Hospital Trust had taken the decision to temporarily close the Tatton Ward on 6 September for a period of four months.  This would impact on Bexton Court as the two facilities were linked and therefore Members had requested a report to this meeting on the implications for social care provision at Bexton Court following the temporary closure of the Tatton Ward.

At the meeting, Members were advised that the Cabinet, on 18 October, had approved the temporary closure of Bexton Court.  It was emphasised that this decision was for a temporary closure only and there could not be any permanent closure without a full consultation being undertaken.  The future reopening would be in consultation with the East Cheshire Hospital Trust and linked to the reopening of the Tatton Ward. 

The report to the Committee outlined that rent of £173k per annum was paid to the Council by the Hospital Trust in relation to the leasing of the wing of Bexton Court known as the Tatton Ward; at the moment a reduced amount of rent was being received.  There was also impact on staff who provided catering and domestic facilities and were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

To consider a report on a review of Patient Services Transport.

Neil Evans of NHS Blackpool briefed on proposed service improvements for Patient Transport Services provided by the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). 

In 2007, the Department of Health published a national policy document entitled “Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services” which provided revised criteria for non-emergency patient transport services.  This defined patients as eligible for Patient Transport Services (PTS) in the following circumstances:

      A patient’s medical condition required the skills or support of PTS staff on or after the journey;

      It would be detrimental to a patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by other means;

      A patient’s medical condition impacted upon their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare or it would be detrimental or hinder recovery to travel by other means;

      A recognised parent/guardian where children were being conveyed.

A comprehensive review of Patient Transport Services was undertaken in the North West and all 24 Primary Care Trusts had agreed the need to improve access to PTS services as there was a high level of variation in the interpretation of the above access criteria.  NHS Blackpool had established a project implementation team to progress the consistent use of the Department of Health’s defined eligibility criteria which would enable all healthcare professionals to ensure equity when booking PTS journeys through the North West Ambulance Service.  In future, to access the Patient Transport Service booking staff would use a pre assessment tool (comprising some pre eligibility questions) which had been developed and was available on the internet; patients who self booked would be able to access the tool via the telephone to an NWAS control centre.

The pre assessment tool would be trialled in five early adopter sites across the North West between October – March 2011 and included Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT.  The trial had begun on 1 October 2010 and the findings from the early adopter sites would be assessed prior to implementation across the North West in April 2011.  Following initial trialling of the pre eligibility questions, a new set of questions had been introduced which would be used shortly. 

The Committee was advised that the new arrangements related to planned transport only and not emergency transport.  A patient information leaflet was being devised which would be widely available including in hospital sites and GP surgeries.  A recent training and information session had also been held for practice managers.  The leaflet would include information on the Healthcare Travel Costs scheme which was a scheme enabling the reclaiming of public transport costs if a patient was able to use public transport but cost was an issue.  In relation to patients using their own transport or asking friends or family for a lift, Members raised the issue of people being reluctant to ask for help and wanting to remain independent as well as the extra cost of paying for parking at hospital as well as the travel costs.  In response, the Committee was advised that investigations could be made into  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 9 September be confirmed as a correct record subject to a correction to minute 63 to read “Councillor C Andrew, personal interest on the grounds that she was a member of the Cheshire and Wirral Councils Joint Scrutiny Committee”.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Scrutiny Committee held on 12 July 2010.

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting of the Cheshire and Wirral Councils Joint Scrutiny Committee held on 12 July.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Scrutiny Committee be received.