Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which provided information and guidance to the Board on developing the work programme for the 2008/09 Municipal Year.  Appended to the report was a copy of the Board’s terms of reference along with performance information and previous issues outstanding from the Scrutiny Board (Health and Adult Social Care).

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting:

Jill Copeland, Leeds Primary Care Trust (PCT)

Chris Butler, Chief Executive, Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT)

Maggie Boyle, Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT)

John England, Deputy Director – Strategy and Performance, Adult Social Services

Councillor Peter Harrand, Executive Member for Adult Health and Social Care

Jill Copeland addressed the Board and reported on the PCT’s priorities for the following year.  These included the following:

• To meet the 18 week target for referral to treatment
• To meet waiting time targets for cancer patients
• Genito-urinary medicine and sexual health care.
• Urgent care, accident and emergency admissions to be dealt with within 4 hours
• To reduce ambulance waiting times
• Increasing opening hours for accessing primary care.
• Reduction of health care acquired infections – MRSA and C-Diff
• Continuation to provision of care closer to home – this had already been provided for those Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and work had started to provide services for stroke patients.
• Dental care – increase the number of dentists and appointments available.
• The  World Class Commissioning Programme.

Chris Butler of the Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust informed the Board of  the Trust’s role in providing specialist mental health and disability services.  He reported that the Trust was to undergo a substantial programme of change and highlighted the following areas:

• Re-design of older people’s mental health services
• Re-design of services for those with special learning disabilities.
• Re-design of physical therapy services.

He also informed the Board of plans to rationalise community mental health teams which would make pathways to services run more smoothly.  Partnership work was undertaken with the PCT and Strategic Health Authority to meet these aims.

John England reported that Health and Well Being was considered as a strategic priority for the Council and the Health and Well Being Strategic Plan had been incorporated as part of the Council’s Policy and Budgetary Framework.  He also highlighted work undertaken on the Leeds Strategic Plan and Local Area Agreement that covered Health and Wellbeing themes and joint working arrangements with the LPFT, the PCT and LTHT.

Maggie Boyle informed the Board of the services provided by Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust.  These included a wide range of secondary and tertiary care services along with specialist referrals both on a regional and national basis.  It was reported that the Trust was working towards achieving Foundation status and this was hope to be achieved in late 2009 or early 2010. She suggested that the board may wish to receive a presentation on LTHT’s services at a future meeting.  Further issues reported included the following:

• How to get public involvement in the provision of services.
• Services at peripheral hospitals and how to make best use of these sites.
• Children’s hospital provision.

Members discussed the following issues in response to information presented and as potential additions to the Board’s Work Programme:

• Transfer of services between hospitals – Jill Copeland hoped to address this at a future meeting of the Board
• Polyclinics
• Out of Hours Services
• Review of the National Blood Service
• Renal Services – Transport Issues
• Funding for Relate
• Monitoring of hospital acquired infections
• Teenage pregnancies

RESOLVED – That the report and discussion be noted and be used to inform the development of an outline work programme.