Agenda and minutes

To verify the meeting is quorate (six Members required).

The Chairman verified that the meeting was quorate.

Mr. Bernard Peters declared an interest in all matters included on the Agenda as they related to University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust owing to his appointment on the Council of Governors.

That, subject to (i) the list of attendances being amended to include the name of Mrs. Barbara Hughes; (ii) Dr. Olubukola (Buki) Adeyemo being recorded as a representative of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and not Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and; (iii) Minute No. 10 paragraph 10 (x) being amended to:-

 “suicide rates in the County were currently at levels similar to those experienced prior to the Pandemic. Measures to prevent suicide and self-harming had been given a greater priority by central government and Staffordshire had been involved in piloting a new model of care which was now being rolled-out nationally;”,

the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2020 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.      

To note changes and appoint Committee representation on District/Borough Committees/Panels 

The Chairman highlighted changes made to the Committee’s membership following the Annual meeting of the County Council on 23 July 2020.

In addition, Mr. John Cooper, the County Councillor for Newcastle – Bradwell County Electoral Division would be invited to attend future meetings of the Committee as an observer. Mr. Cooper had been co-opted onto Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Health, Wellbeing and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee from the County Council in order to provide a communication and co-ordination link between the two Authorities on matters of health.  

Joint report/presentation of Staffordshire Secondary Care NHS Providers and Clinical Commissioning Groups

The Committee considered a joint PowerPoint presentation/report (slides attached at Appendix A to the signed minutes) by the Chief Executive of University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals of Burton and Derby NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), Chief Executive of Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and Accountable Officer, Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) regarding the backlog of hospital appointments arising from the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic in Staffordshire.

Tracy Bullock (Chief Executive) and Paul Bytheway (Chief Operating Officer) from UHNM were present at the meeting.

Duncan Bedford (Executive Managing Director) and Sharon Martin (Executive Chief Operating Officer) from UHDB were present at the meeting.

Gwen Nuttall (Chief Operating Officer) from Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust was present at the meeting.

Lynn Millar (Director of Primary Care) and Marcus Warnes (Accountable Officer) from Staffordshire CCGs were present at the meeting.

Mary Porter (Lead, Child Health Information Service) from NHS England was present at the meeting.

Jennie Collier (Managing Director, Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Care Group) and Sue Garland (Service Manager, Universal and School Aged Immunisation Service) from Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust were present at the meeting.

The outbreak of the virus had placed huge pressure on the NHS both in terms of resources and maintaining the delivery of essential services whilst complying with guidance on social distancing and infection control. Members had previously expressed concern regarding the impact of the pandemic on Primary and Secondary Care in specific areas including:- (i) Cancer emergency two week wait backlog (including investigations and endoscopy); (ii) Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Surgery backlog for existing Cancer patients in treatment at the time of lockdown; (iii) Routine surgery backlog particularly in orthopaedics (hips and knees); (iv) Cataract surgery backlog; (v) Cancer screening backlog including breast cervix and colorectal; (vi) Childhood immunisation programme; (vii) Coronary bypass and angioplasty backlog; (viii) Routine out-patient review backlog; (xi) Chronic disease management review backlog and; (x) Primary care capacity. Therefore, the Committee invited the various representatives of Health to outline their performance in the above-mentioned areas since lockdown and explain the steps they were taking to address areas of particular concern/backlogs and restore the proper functioning of services as necessary.

The Committee were provided with comprehensive background statistical and graphical information from the Trusts/CCGs in advance of the meeting (Appendix A) which also gave context and set out the measures taken following the imposition of lockdown in March 2020. A co-ordinated presentation was then given by Tracy Bullock on behalf of all three Acute Trusts and Staffordshire CCGs during which she outlined:- (i) background and Department of Health and national NHS response to the pandemic; (ii) the six priorities contained in Trusts’ Long-Term Plans which had been accelerated owing to the effect of the pandemic; (iii) measures included in ‘Phase 3’ (requirement for recovery of services to March 2021) of the emergency; (iv) the whole system approach being adopted towards the recovery at national, regional and sub-regional levels; (v) the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on key services together with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

Report of Scrutiny and Support Manager

The Committee considered a rolling Work Programme for 2020/21 (Appendix B to the signed minutes).

During their discussion Members cited the following issues/topics for scrutiny at future meetings:- (i) Community First Responders – update from West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust; (ii) Focus on Young and Older People; (iii) Support and Joint Working between Public Health and the NHS; (iv) Focus on Mental Health; (v) Focus on Diabetes; (vi) National and Local Social Care Green Papers and; (vii) Backlog of Hospital Appointments arising from the 2020 Covis-19 Pandemic – Update from Staffordshire Secondary Care Providers and Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The Chairman sought agreement from the Committee for him and the two Vice-Chairmen to meet informally to consider their Work Programme in greater detail, make proposals and report back to their next meeting, as appropriate. He emphasised the need for flexibility in the Programme in order to take account of matters raised at short notice arising from the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.

RESOLVED – (a) That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman consider their 2020/21 Work Programme in detail at an informal meeting on a date and at a time to be arranged.

(b) That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman have regard to the above-mentioned suggested issues/topics for scrutiny at their informal meeting referred to in (a) above.

(c) That the updated Work Programme 2020/21 be brought their next meeting for approval.  

Oral reports of District/Borough representatives

The Chairman invited the District/Borough Council representatives present to make oral reports of the health scrutiny activity which they had undertaken, since their previous meeting, in line with the Code of Joint Working Arrangements – Health.

The representatives of Stafford Borough and Staffordshire Moorlands District Councils said that their respective Committees/Panels had not met since the previous update reports were considered. Whilst the representative of Cannock Chase District Council said that her Authority’s Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee had not met again since the previous report, the Authority’s Corporate Review Scrutiny Committee had temporarily assumed responsibility for health matters during the current Covid-19 pandemic. She had also attended a weekly virtual meeting of the Authority’s Corporate Management Team and Group Leaders at which they had allocated additional funding in support of foodbanks in the District. In addition, their Environmental Health Team were actively engaged in providing advice to residents on social distancing measures.

The representative of Tamworth Borough Council reported that his Authority’s Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was to meet on 14 July 2020 at which they would consider the Council’s response to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the letter which had been sent by the previous Chairman of Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee on 15 July 2020 regarding the operation of the standing joint working arrangements in health had been positively received his Authority looked forward to strengthening the operation of these arrangements, in the near future, for the benefit of residents of the Borough/County.

The representative of East Staffordshire Borough Council said that his Authority were currently focusing on a review of Sports Development. In addition representatives of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust and Clinical Commissioning Group(s) would be invited to the next meeting of their Scrutiny Community Regeneration, Environment and Health and Well Being Committee regarding the recent merger and local General Practitioner services, respectively.   

The Chairman informed them of an emailed letter he had received from Mrs. P Wood of Leek Health Campaign Group on 5 August 2020 regarding the future of Leek Hospital. He said that he would reply to Mrs. Wood informing her that a copy would be forwarded to the Clinical Commissioning Groups’ Accountable Officer for attention and any necessary action owing to their role in ensuring adequate capacity in local health services, going forward.

In addition, he informed them of correspondence he had received from Loggerheads Parish Council regarding Community First Responders and their concerns over the recent changes made by West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust which the Committee had scrutinised at their 8 June 2020 meeting. He went on to say that he would reply informing them their concerns had been noted and that an update report by the Trust was due to be made to the Committee at a meeting towards the end of 2020.  

RESOLVED –That the reports/oral reports be received and noted.

RESOLVED – That the date, time and venue of their next meeting be noted.