Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2020.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 8 October 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Councillor A Moran declared a non-pecuniary interest as a member of the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the Agenda

There were no declarations of a party whip.

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.

Members of the public wishing to make a statement should provide notice in writing at least three clear working days before the meeting takes place.

There were no members of the public present who wished to speak.

11.50am – 12.20pm

The committee agreed to bring this item forward on the agenda to be taken as the first substantive item of business.

The Director of Public Health provided an update on the Covid-19 outbreak and the work undertaken by the council in response to the pandemic. Members of the committee asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the most number and rate of cases in Cheshire East;

·         how the statistics in Cheshire East compared to neighbouring authorities and regions;

·         what the latest guidance was regarding visitations to care homes, and what work the council had undertaken to try and support safe visitations where appropriate and possible; and

·         how the council was ensuring that the Infection Control Grant was being used to ensure that care home staff had been paid if they had to stay off work to self-isolate.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

10.10am – 10.40am

Consideration was given to the 2019/20 Quality Account of Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the Trust’s positive performance having been rated as Good and Outstanding by Ofsted across the key assessed areas;

·         what work it has undertaken as a Veterans Aware trust with local ex-service and British Legion brances;

·         what areas had under-performed or not gone as well as had been planned;

·         how the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted the Trust’s achievement of its objectives from 2019/20;

·         how the Trust had supported the welfare and wellbeing of its staff since the outbreak of the pandemic; and

·         what financial savings had been made by the Trust through it’s recent re-design of adult’s and older peoples mental health services.

RESOLVED –

1          That the Trust be thanked for attending and presenting its 2019/20 Quality Account report.

2          That the committee’s feedback and response to the 2019/20 Quality Account for sent in the form of a letter.

3          That the Trust provide a response in writing to the question regarding the financial savings that had been achieved by the Trust through its re-design of adult’s and older peoples mental health services.

10.40am – 11.10am

Consideration was given to the 2019/20 Quality Account of East Cheshire NHS Trust. Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         why the Trust had performed below the national average on being responsive to the personal needs of inpatients;

·         whether the one specialist diabetes nurse was sufficient to provide the necessary service across the Trust’s geographical area;

·         what measures it had put in place to support incoming patients who have learning disabilities, delirium, or other conditions, who cannot travel to the hospital with family, a carer, or a friend; and

·         how the Trust had supported the welfare and wellbeing of its staff since the outbreak of the pandemic.

RESOLVED –

1          That the Trust be thanked for attending and presenting its 2019/20 Quality Account report.

2          That the committee’s feedback and response to the 2019/20 Quality Account for sent in the form of a letter.

11.10am – 11.40am

Consideration was given to the 2019/20 Quality Account of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the Trust’s positive performance regarding staff recruitment through its numerous international recruitment drives;

·         how successful and smooth the integration of the Trust’s maternity service with that of East Cheshire NHS Trust’s had been; and

·         how the pandemic had affected the hospital’s bed capacity;

RESOLVED –

1          That the Trust be thanked for attending and presenting its 2019/20 Quality Account report.

2          That the committee’s feedback and response to the 2019/20 Quality Account for sent in the form of a letter.

12.20pm – 12.55pm

Consideration was given to a report highlighting the council’s plans and measures put in place locally for the upcoming winter period.

Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the local flu vaccination programme;

·         the policy regarding patients’ safe discharge from care homes

·         the support identified for unpaid carers; and

·         what support mechanisms had been put in place to ensure adult social care staff were supported throughout the pandemic.

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted.

12.55pm – 1.20pm

The committee received an update on the performance of the contract for the One You Cheshire East integrated lifestyle, which commenced in November 2019.

It was noted that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had significantly impacted the delivery of services against this contract. Members asked how many other contracts the council had in place that had been similarly affected, and what measures were in place to review and manage contract performance accordingly.

RESOLVED –

That the update be received and noted.

1.20pm – 1.25pm

The committee reviewed the council’s Forward Plan of key decisions. The Chairman provided some feedback and comments regarding the Social Value Policy paper, to be considered by Cabinet on 10 November 2020, which would be collated with the wider comments of committee members and forwarded to the responsible Portfolio Holder in advance of the Cabinet meeting.

RESOLVED –

1          That the Forward Plan be noted

2          That the comments in relation to the Social Value Policy paper be collated and submitted to the responsible Portfolio Holder in advance of the Cabinet meeting on 10 November 2020.

1.25pm – 1.30pm

The committee carried out a review of its work programme and planned items of business. Members enquired as to whether the next update from health partners (due on 14 January 2021) could be brought forward to the committee’s next meeting on 3 December 2020.

RESOLVED –

1          That the work programme be agreed.

2          That the Scrutiny Officer liaise with health partners to ascertain whether the update on the Sustainability of Health Services in Cheshire East could be brought forward to the next committee meeting on 3 December 2020.