Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was submitted from the Chairman, Councillor A Alder.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2016

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Councillor S Cousins (in the Chair), on behalf of Members, wished the Chairman, Councillor A Alder best wishes for a speedy recovery.  He stated that he hoped Members would sign a “get well” card which he had circulated.

The Chairman welcomed Fiona Corcoran, the new Scrutiny Officer, to the meeting.

Presentation to Members.

The Ambassador and Executive Member for Shared Services gave a presentation updating Members on the East Herts Strategic Partnership Board in terms of its approach to protecting residents’ health.  He explained that the aim of the presentation was to ensure that the Board supported Members’ views and aims in terms of the general direction of travel for health and wellbeing.

The Ambassador and Executive Member for Shared Services provided background information in relation to the history and remit of the Board which comprised key senior officers from a number of organisations, including South Anglia Housing Association, the Clinical Commissioning Group, Hertford Regional College and the voluntary sector.  He stated that an operational sub-group of the strategic partnership comprised Officers from those organisations and was charged with carrying out the Board’s wishes. 

The Ambassador and Executive Member explained the difficulties the Board faced now that government funding was no longer available, but that its aim was to ensure that it was still “fit for purpose” in the current climate. 

The Ambassador and Executive Member explained that the partnership could encourage and influence its partners to look at general issues of concern and cited employment issues by example and those in age groups of 25-49 who found that their skills did not match up to what employers wanted.  He stressed the importance of ensuring that there was a synergy between the partnership, the Council’s priorities and the health and wellbeing agenda.

The Environmental Health Promotion Officer endorsed the importance of  the synergy between the work of the partnership, the Council and projects funded by the Council. The Chairman reiterated the need to ensure that community projects were part of the health and wellbeing agenda.  He referred to the need to raise the profile of the issues faced by people living with dementia. 

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing reminded Members of the ongoing work in relation to the ageing well agenda, dementia and isolation.  It was suggested that self-help groups within the voluntary sector should be encouraged. This was supported.

The Ambassador and Executive Member for Shared Services responded to a number of questions generally and in relation to health projects and how the partnership could influence issues of concern and the need to work in a holistic way to maximise benefit.  The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing provided an update on projects which had been reviewed across the District including those which were of national concern, such as the cessation of smoking and the role of carers. 

The issue of isolation was debated at length.  The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing explained that this had been reviewed.  He provided an update of this in terms of ongoing work.

The Chairman, on behalf of Members, thanked the Ambassador and Executive Member for Shared Services for his presentation.

The Committee received the presentation and supported the proposal that in the future, the partnership considers how it can use its influence to encourage East Herts to become more dementia friendly and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 438.

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing submitted a report on the progress and outcomes of the East Herts Community Health and Wellbeing Fund – Phase One projects. The Environmental Health Promotion Officer provided a summary of the report and gave an update on the 14 bids which had been supported by the Council and comprising three themes: Lifestyle, Physical Activity and Healthy Living. 

The Environmental Health Promotion Officer explained the background to the funding and that £170,000 remained in the combined health and wellbeing fund and the Members’ matched funding budget for health and wellbeing projects.  The Chairman thanked the Officers and acknowledged the extensive work which had gone into developing the projects and the successes achieved.  The Environmental Health Promotion Officer referred to the ‘Meet and Eat’ healthy eating scheme which could be a means of supporting those with malnutrition and supporting social networks for the elderly. The need to work with the community on this issue was recognised.  In response to a query from Councillor M Stevenson, the Environmental Health Officer provided an update on the project at Bircherley Court about the ‘Meet and Eat’ project work.

Councillor J Jones congratulated Officers in relation to the ongoing health initiatives.  He referred to the need to support projects such as the cessation of smoking.  The Environmental Health Promotion Officer and the Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing reminded Members of the work it had already undertaken in relation to “Stop Smoking” initiatives both at a local level and in supporting county-wide and national campaigns.  

Councillor P Boylan sought clarification on how best to provide ongoing support to health initiatives and avoid duplication of effort.  He referred to the need to ensure that the Council developed health profiles for wards to ensure that projects were tailored to meet the health needs of those wards.  The Environmental Health Promotion Officer noted that the Council currently used ward level health data and the “tartan rug”, a health comparison table of health indicators which Hertfordshire County Council Public Health and East Herts regularly used in developing appropriate projects.

In response to a query from Councillor P Ballam regarding ward profiles, the Head of Housing and Health explained that Officers were able to drill down  data about health profiles to focus on what was needed in specific areasCouncillor S Bull referred to what he viewed as the  growing impact on health of excessive drinking.

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing reminded Members that there would be a detailed report presented in March 2017 which would review the Council’s future agenda in terms of health and wellbeing. 

The Committee received the report.

RESOLVED – that the effectiveness of the projects be noted and best practice shared.

Verbal update from the Chairman.

Councillor S Cousins reported that he had attended the Hertfordshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee last week.  He provided Members with an update regarding a presentation given about West Hertfordshire and the possibility of a new hospital being built which could be in Watford or the redevelopment of an existing hospital.  He explained that no conclusions had been reached because of a lack of clarity over funding issues.

Councillor Cousins referred to the CQC (Care Quality Commission) reports issued in relation to the Lister and Princess Alexandra Hospitals (PAH).  It was noted that the Lister was making good progress but that PAH was failing across the board.  He stated that 40% of the people attending the PAH came from the East Hertfordshire area and of the need to ensure that the Council was able to provide a strong direction of how it would like to see the PAH improve its position. 

Councillor Cousins referred to the reported difficulties faced by patients in terms of public transportation to the Lister Hospital. 

RESOLVED – that the update be noted.

The Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee submitted a report reviewing the Committee’s work programme for 2016/17. 

Councillor S Bull reiterated concerns by the travelling public in getting to the Lister Hospital on public transport and queried whether the PAH management team could attend a future meeting of Health and Wellbeing Committee to be questioned about the situation.  The Scrutiny Officer explained the remit in terms of the role of scrutiny and that this was typically the responsibility of HCC Health Scrutiny Committee, unless there was a very local issue and an evidenced problem.

Councillor P Boylan stated that as a new Member to the Committee, he wished to make Members aware that he had already declared an interest as a Lay-Member of the NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.  He said that it was not an accurate reflection of the CQC inspection of the PAH to state that they were failing across the board.  In fact, maternity services were judged as outstanding.  Whilst the Committee may wish to invite the management team from PAH, he reminded Members that the Trust was under considerable scrutiny at national and local level right now and it was important that the Trust was able to focus on the improvement required.  He suggested that now was not the right time to invite them.

The Committee approved the work programme.

RESOLVED – that the work programme be agreed.