Agenda and minutes

Councillor W Clements, Wirral Borough Council, substitute member for Councillor C Povall

Mr P Hough (Co-opted Member)

RESOLVED: That the following declarations of interest be noted:-

               Councillor D Flude – personal interest on the grounds that she is a member of the Alzheimer’s Society and Cheshire Independent Advocacy.

               Councillor D Roberts – personal interest on the grounds that her daughter is an employee of the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP).

Mike O’Regan, Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (CECPCT),

Avril Devaney, Andy Styring and Michelle Bering (Cheshire and Wirrall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP),

Mike Flynn and Ross Paterson (Cheshire East Council Scrutiny Team)

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 October. 

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 11 October 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

To consider the verbal update report of the Chief Executive of the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The Committee considered the Chief Executive’s Update Report which had been tabled. The report covered the following issues:

      Transforming Community Services; in West Cheshire work is progressing with the transfer of community services, from Western Cheshire PCT to CWP. Furthermore, NHS Wirral is proposing to go ahead with its plans to establish a Community Trust, and this will function as an entirely separate organisation from 1 April 2011. Community Services in Central and Eastern Cheshire would transfer to East Cheshire Hospitals Trust on the same timescale.

      The CWP is scheduled to move the clinical services from Leighton Hospital to the Millbrook unit by 19^th January 2011. Procedures are also in place to assist carers who may have difficulty with transport to visit their relatives in Millbrook. The situation concerning patient and carer travel would continue to be monitored. Concerns were raised over the availability of public transport between Crewe and Macclesfield, which could create difficulties for members of the public. It was also proposed that Members should visit the Millbrook site.

      The CWP plans to renew its Suicide Prevention Strategy by April 2011.

      Work is underway at Bowmere to construct an outside garden for the ward, for people with dementia. This is in partnership with Kings Fund under the Enhancing the Healing Environment Scheme.

      The Committee was also advised that the progress report on the integration of the Assertive Outreach Function was due to be considered by the CWP Board at the end of January, following which it would be circulated to the Committee and considered at the next meeting.

RESOLVED: That the Report be received and a visit to the Millbrook Site be arranged.

To consider a report on the proposed closure of Riseley Street Respite Service.

The committee considered a report from Mike O’Regan of Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust on the proposed closure of Riseley Street Respite Service.

It was explained to the Committee that a level 2 consultation had been carried out in November, which raised issues regarding the respite centre in Crook Lane, Winsford. The Centre had recently been flooded which had created difficulties in offering alternative services for users at both Riseley Street and Primrose Avenue in Crewe which had also been subject to a consultation on closure.

The consultations had been launched as the three sites collectively were running at around 40-45% occupancy levels. Following legal advice the decision was made to have a further 4 week consultation on the proposed closures, covering the issues at all of the sites. The implications had been considered in detail at the Cheshire East Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee. 

After consideration of the report, the following points were raised;

      Concerns were expressed over the numbers of people who are assessed or actually need respite care and over the possible confusion about the local boundaries from which people can access respite care. The proposed changes also raised questions about payment, as NHS facilities were provided free of charge, whereas service users transferring to Social Care respite facilities could be charged. The arrangements intended to deal with this were explained in detail.

      A change of wording in the report was noted by committee in that it should read; “discussed” rather than “accepted in Principle” on page 10 of the Agenda. 

RESOLVED: That the Report be received and a further report be made in due course on the outcome of the consultations.

To consider a report on the closure of the Willows, Macclesfield.

The committee considered a report on this issue from Mike O’Regan.

It was explained that following a level 2 consultation which had been conducted in November, it was decided that the Willows day care centre in Macclesfield should be closed.

The Committee was informed that everyone in the centre would be assessed and alternative care provided where required in view of the closure.

Service users had been consulted in individual meetings to advise them and their care plans had been reviewed accordingly. Service users were disappointed about the closure and felt they had benefitted from the services provided at the Willows. However, CWP felt the service was social care rather than health care and such provision was not made available elsewhere in the Trust. Also, services provided at the Willows were accessible via other mainstream providers.

It was expected that the Willows service would close in mid January 2011; the impact of the changes would be monitored and service users would be supported to access mainstream services.

The Cheshire East Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee had also considered the issues and had noted the outcome of the consultations. The Committee had raised the question of whether the services at the Willows could be provided in different ways using the Voluntary Sector. The Committee had also asked that the possibility of setting up a pilot scheme for Admiral Nursing (which offered specialist nursing for dementia patients) in the area should be investigated jointly with the Primary Care Trust. The Cheshire West and Chester Scrutiny Committee would consider the report on the Willows later in the day.

RESOLVED: That the Report be received and the issues related to Admiral Nursing be considered at the next Mid Point meeting.

To receive a presentation by Michele Bering, Nurse Consultant.

The committee received a presentation by Michele Bering which gave an overview of the new Public Health White Paper and its implications for the CWP and the populations it serves.

The presentation focused on the shift of emphasis from simply treating people, to promoting and maintaining well being, with importance being placed on all organisations working together to achieve this goal.

The presentation also addressed what the CWP are already doing in terms of the public Health Agenda and the various core functions which they carry out, including; Strategic development and project work, teaching, training and health promotion, and direct clinical work to support access to Primary and Acute Secondary Care.

During the discussion the following points were raised:

      How the funding required to support the promotion of good health and the prevention of illness was going to be found and what the impact on other current services would be. It was explained that the money would be sourced from the existing budgets, and also through the redesigning of the Trust’s internal structure in order to facilitate these changes and fund the services.

      In addition improvements in the training of staff would lead to efficiencies being made. It was explained that there was a change of emphasis now towards prevention, to encourage people into trying to improve their health rather than just treating people for health problems. The Trust would also be delivering services in different ways in the future, better to meet the new requirements.

      Concerns over the way in which the quality of these services would be measured and monitored, and where the controls would come from.

      It was explained that the Government’s White Paper proposals envisaged the setting up of a Public Health Board nationally, and Health and Wellbeing Boards in each Council area, which would oversee the new arrangements.

      Concerns that the money for funding the CWP’s service is not ring fenced, and therefore the success of the new approach would be dependent on effective prioritisation and target setting, and careful monitoring of the impact of new initiatives as they were brought into effect.

      Confirmation from a commissioning perspective, that funding would allow the priorities identified nationally to be pursued and tailored to address local need. 

RESOLVED: That Michele Bering be thanked for her presentation, and that the implications for the Trust be noted.

To consider a report of the Cheshire East Borough Solicitor.

The Joint Committee’s Procedural Rules provide that it “may choose to co-opt other appropriate individuals, in a non - voting capacity, to the Committee or for the duration of a particular review or Scrutiny.”

Following consideration at the Mid-Point meeting, CWP had circulated the Patients and Public Involvement members of the Trust, as a result of which Mr Phil Hough (carer member) had applied to become a Co – opted Member of the Committee.

The Chairman welcomed Mr Hough to the meeting, and he outlined his background as a carer, and his activities and experience both in CWP and more widely in the NHS.

RESOLVED: That Mr Phil Hough be appointed as a non-voting co-opted member on the Joint Committee, initially for the remainder of the municipal year.

To consider future meeting dates for 2011 – 12; proposed dates are set out below:

      11 July 2011;

      10 October 2011;

      23 January 2012;

      16 April 2012.

All meetings to start at 2.00pm, venues to be confirmed.

           RESOLVED: That the following dates for future meetings be agreed:

      11 July 2011;

      10 October 2011;

      23 January 2012;

      16 April 2012.

All meetings to start at 2.00pm, venues to be confirmed.