Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors C Andrew and G Baxendale.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 February, 2019.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 February 2019 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.

No declarations of interest were received.

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

No declarations of the presence of a party whip were received.

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 and 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.

There were two members of the public present who wished to speak to Minute No. 105. Both were members of staff that worked within the oral surgery and orthodontic departments at Macclesfield General Hospital.

Ms Nicola Bateson addressed the committee to express her concern for the patients and their parents/carers that would be required to travel further afield for their appointments, which would result in more time away from school and work, respectively.

Ms Bateson also commented on the rationale of East Cheshire NHS Trust to close the two services, and the hard work of the staff and consultants within the department to try and retain an effective local service provision.

Ms Moira Moss spoke to the committee about the manner in which the closure of the two services had been handled with the departmental staff and consultants, and reiterated Ms Bateson’s concern about the impacts to service users.

To consider a report submitted by East Cheshire NHS Trust and NHS England as the respective provider and commissioner of specialist orthodontic and oral surgery services in Macclesfield, outlining the proposed changes to the provision of said services.

Consideration was given to a report submitted by NHS England North (Cheshire and Merseyside) regarding the decision taken by East Cheshire NHS Trust to cease providing specialist oral surgery and orthodontic services from Macclesfield General Hospital.

The Trust had served notice on the two contracts in September and October, respectively, with intent to stop providing them in March and April 2019.

The committee was united in expressing its disappointment that:

(a)  both the Health and Adult Social Care and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Protocol – setting out the mutually agreed local procedure for how NHS bodies should consult and engage with this committee regarding proposed service changes and developments – and the statutory duties placed on the Trust and NHS England North (Cheshire and Merseyside) under various pieces of legislation, had been ignored throughout the process, and

(b)  that representations had not been made by East Cheshire NHS Trust to formally address this committee to explain its rationale for closing the two services.

Members put questions and comments in relation to;

·         why the offer from staff and consultants to hold extra clinics in order to help to retain the local service had not been considered or taken up;

·         concern regarding the decision making and communication of East Cheshire NHS Trust, if they had not made the service commissioner aware that the staff and consultant had been willing to hold extra clinics to support the service;

·         why more concerted efforts had not been made to retain the two services within Macclesfield;

·         why NHS England North (Cheshire and Merseyside) would be undertaking a full needs assessment, if they, as the commissioning body, had confirmed that they had no prior concerns or issues with the services being provided before the contract notices had been served;

·         the concern for both patients – the majority of whom were children or adolescents – and their parents and carers that may have greater difficulty in travelling further for appointments, and be required to take time away from school and work respectively;

·         the impact that the service closures would have on patients presenting with early stage cancer and the disadvantage that it may have on rates of successful, early cancer screenings; and

·         whether it could be guaranteed that any future public consultation on the provision of the two dental services would include an option for the services to remain in the Macclesfield area.

In response to questions from members regarding the next steps in this process, the committee was advised that no specific timescales had yet been confirmed for the undertaking of the needs assessment or future procurement exercises, but that the committee would be kept informed throughout each stage of the process.

RESOLVED –

1          That, owing to the lack of, and therefore inadequate, consultation and engagement with this committee, the wider public and other stakeholders, the committee considers that the proposed service changes are not in the interest of service users and takes the steps necessary to the refer the matter to the Secretary of State  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

To consider a report on the convergence of the clinical commissioning groups in Cheshire.

Consideration was given to a report and presentation submitted by NHS South Cheshire and Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Group in respect of Working Together Across Cheshire: the scheme of work aimed at converging and combining the work of the four clinical commissioning groups within Cheshire, in preparation of the planned creation of a single Cheshire clinical commissioning group.

Members asked questions and made comments in relation to;

·         whether future engagement and consultation with this committee and the wider public, in respect of service developments and variations, would be improved under the new working arrangements of the single Cheshire clinical commissioning group;

·         the concern regarding potential staff redundancies and the associated costs attached to them; and

·         the potential disadvantages of combining multiple workplace arrangements and cultures.

RESOLVED –

1          That the update be noted.

2          That the committee be kept informed of future progress in relation to this matter.

To give consideration to the areas of the forward plan which fall within the remit of the committee.

Click here to access the most up-to-date version of the forward plan.

Consideration was given to the most recently published iteration of the Council’s forward plan of key decisions.

RESOLVED –

That the forward plan be noted.

To review the current work programme.

Consideration was given to the committee’s current work programme and whether any new or existing items needed to be added or deleted.

RESOLVED –

That the work programme be agreed.