Agenda and minutes

Resolved: that Councillor Caroline Cherry be elected Vice-Chairman.

A Member must declare any disclosable pecuniary interest where it relates to any matter being considered at the meeting. A declaration of a disclosable pecuniary interest should indicate the interest and the agenda item to which it relates. A Member is not permitted to participate in this agenda item by law and should immediately leave the meeting before the start of any debate.

If the Member leaves the Chamber in respect of a declaration, he or she should ensure that the Chairman is aware of this before he or she leaves to enable their exit from the meeting to be recorded in the minutes in accordance with Standing Order 37.

None.

18 March 2021, to approve as a correct record (attached).

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting on 18^th March 2021 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Chairman, Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel, North Somerset Council.

The Panel agreed that this item be taken early.

In introducing the Panel working group’s report into transport access issues and potential mitigations at the proposed new GP Practice/Health Centre at the Weston Rugby Ground site, the Chairman emphasised the following:- 

·       solving the transport access challenges inherent to the location and layout of the site were a shared responsibility of the Clinical Commissioning Group, the developer and the Council since the proposal formed part of a wider regeneration scheme around Weston-super-Mare station;

·       these were preliminary discussions as the project was still some way away from the planning application stage; and

·       that he felt there was acknowledgement from all parties involved around the need to address these issues.

Although the report’s conclusion was that the Panel would be unable to support the current proposals as things stood, he considered there were reasons to be hopeful that the Panel’s concerns could be sufficiently addressed going forward, and the working group would reconvene at any time to consider any proposed revisions.

Before opening the item for Member discussion, he invited the CCG to respond to the report’s findings.  The Head of Locality – Weston, Worle and Villages (BNSSG CCG) confirmed that the CCG was working closely with the developer to find solutions to the accessibility challenges at the site. A transport feasibility study would need to be undertaken as part of the development of a planning application (due to be submitted at the end of August) and consideration was being given to options that would be submitted for planning officer feedback in the pre-application process. She said that that would be a useful point at which to bring the proposals back to the working group.

The Area Director – North Somerset (BNSSG CCG) added that the CCG shared the HOSP’s concerns around the need to address accessibility to the site.  In providing context, he said the selection of the current site had followed extensive site evaluation process and he emphasised that it would not have been chosen were it not for the opportunities around the Council’s planned regeneration of the surrounding area.

The Chairman then responded to Members’ comments and queries as follows:  he had not yet received responses from First Bus and First Great Western to questions raised by the working group; and that concerns raised by a Member around the particular challenges faced by older and less mobile people were acknowledged.

In bringing discussion on the item to a close, it was:-

Concluded: that, subject to the Chairman’s amendment to bullet point 4 (as italicised below), the following working group recommendations set out in the working group report be endorsed by the Panel:

·         HOSP recognises the importance for patient outcomes of building a bespoke health centre rather than retrofitting this into an unsuitable building, but this must be balanced with accessibility.

·         HOSP is unable to support the building of the health centre at Sunnyside Road (rugby club), as is currently planned, due to the inability of the site to suitably provide  ...  view the full minutes text for item HEA 4

Report of the Area Director - North Somerset BNSSG Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Area Director – North Somerset (BNSSG CCG) and colleagues from the CCG and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust (UHBW) gave a presentation addressing four key themes that the Panel had requested in an agreed one-year review of the implementation of the “Healthy Weston” changes to health services.  It was noted that although the implementation had commenced in Spring 2020, progress had been impacted by the pandemic.

The Area Director opened the presentation by highlighting some contextual developments since the start of implementation, including the merger between UHB and Weston Area Health Trust (WAHT), the impacts of the epidemic and the commencement of the second phase of Healthy Weston.

Andrew Hollowood, Consultant Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Strategy, gave the second part of the presentation addressing Theme 1: the staffing position for urgent and emergency care and the prospect of sustainably returning to a 24/7 rota (including the impact on other specialities and services).  He reported that there had been little improvement in the recruitment position.  Whilst the merger had delivered greater stabilisation of the existing workforce, he said there was no foreseeable sustainable prospect or rationale for returning to a 24/7 rota.

The Area Director (BNSSG CCG) gave the third part of the presentation addressing Theme 2: progress in recruiting primary care staff for the new front door model for the A&E.  He reported on a number of initiatives around the digital offer (eg Push Dr), redirection of suitable patients to the Clevedon Minor Injury Unit, a six-month pilot involving Sirona Care and an eight-week pilot involving the secondment of a GP with special interest in frailty. 

The Area Director also covered the fourth part of the presentation covering Theme 3: evaluation of the impact and outputs of the mental heath community crisis and recovery centre following the setting up of the new service in Spring 2020.  He highlighted the temporary redeployment of the team to provide a telephone service in May 2020 due to the impacts of Covid-19, with reversion to the original service model (Safe Haven Centre) in February 2021.  He also provided a break-down of the patients seen during this time.

Andrew Hollowood gave the fifth part of the presentation covering Theme 4: the number of people transferring to care elsewhere in the health system and their experience and outcomes.  A breakdown was provided of numbers attending or transferred to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, numbers of children transferred to other care providers and the number of patent safety incidents related to A&E transfers (there were no serious incidents reported), together with information about patient satisfaction. 

In summary, the Area Director highlighted the following points:

·       the unprecedented impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic;

·       the lack of a clear rationale suggesting a return to 24/7 A&E staffing would improve patient outcomes;

·       progress bringing more primary care capacity to the hospital “front door” and the more active role of community services;

·       progress in implementing the Safe Haven  ...  view the full minutes text for item HEA 5

Report of the Director of Public Health, North Somerset Council.

The Director of Public Health presented the report setting out the draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Members sought and received clarification on the following issues:

·       the disparity between male and female figures within the infant mortality data;

·       the reasons for stagnating or declining health indicators in the most deprived areas in the district after 2015;

·       the ways in which low levels of sexual health testing in the district would be addressed;

·       how the Strategy would be focussed to deliver best value for money; and

·       further clarification on early intervention for children and young people and the work of the Healthy Schools programme;

Concluded: that HOSP endorse the draft Strategy.

·       To include: Nomination of NSC Mental Health Champion

The Chairman outlined the current work plan and it was agreed that the following topics would be added to the list of proposed future projects: services around eating disorders and access to dentists.  It was also agreed that further thought to be given to work around trans health inequalities.  It was agreed that consideration be given to arranging a briefing involving neighbouring local authorities, possibly at Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) level.

The Chairman also highlighted likely items for inclusion within the October HOSP agenda including winter pressures, long Covid, sexual health services, cancer services and possibly an update on the stroke programme currently being considered by JHOSC.

He also referred to the item within the work plan regarding the nomination of a North Somerset Council Mental Health Champion.  Members agreed that it be recommended to Group Leaders that Councillor Mike Solomon be nominated as Mental Health Champion.

Concluded: that the work item be updated in accordance with the above.