Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of interest received.

County Councillor Steve Holgate will attend the meeting as Chair of LCC Health Scrutiny Committee to talk about that Committee’s role in scrutinising the recent temporary closure of Accident and Emergency Services at Chorley Hospital.

At the invitation of the Chair and Vice of the Committee, Councillor Steve Holgate, Chair of LCC Health & Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee attended the meeting to talk about the temporary closure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Chorley Hospital. Also in attendance was Councillor Hasina Khan as the Council’s representative on that Committee

County Councillor Holgate provided the Committee with a summary of the investigation that the Health Scrutiny Committee had undertaken on the downgrading of Chorley Hospital’s accident and emergency service to an urgent care centre.

The downgrading had taken place in early April with no warning. The Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust had not advised or consulted local authorities on the change and it came as a major shock to staff and residents. The inquiry undertaken by the Health Scrutiny Committee has focused on why the change had taken place, its impact and what local hospital services would look like going forward. There had been a series of three meetings to gather evidence:

1.    The Committee met with representatives of the Hospital Trust and heard about the shortage of trained staff and the use of locums. There had been a long term problem in attracting and recruiting suitably qualified staff, culminating in the decision on temporary closure. The Clinical Commissioning Group for Chorley, South Ribble and Preston had also been interviewed as the funding provider. It appeared that they had not stepped in early enough to deal with the staffing issues.

2.    The Committee then met with the NHS Education North West (formerly known as the Deanery) who provide training places for health clinicians and whose responsibility it is to ensure there are enough trained staff coming through the system to meet future service needs. The Committee heard that only 50% of staff who undertake training actually complete it and are available once qualified, due to career changes, family commitments etc. Training places had also been reduced in recent years. On qualifying, a significant number of staff relocated to countries like Australia. Recruiting trained staff from Europe was often of limited success as the training structure was different. Staff from the Indian Sub Continent were more likely to remain as the structure of health services, and therefore their training, was similar to the UK. Recruitment from abroad also required improved support from the Home Office.

The Committee also met/heard representations from local MPs

3.    The Committee had looked at the position going forward in attracting staff. Those looking to advance their career, would choose to apply to hospitals who provide services for trauma; paediatrics, surgery and intensive care. Chorley Hospital was not in this position and this was a clear obstacle to successful recruitment. Early August would see the Hospital deciding whether or not they had sufficient staff to reopen accident and emergency services. A request had been made for information on how the closure had impacted on other local A & E services in Preston, Wigan, Bolton and East Lancashire but this hadn’t yet been received.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.OS.50

To approve the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 31 March 2016.

Councillor Lynch referred to Minute No. 176.OS.42 on PCSO deployment in neighbourhood policing, specifically comments from Inspector Cox regarding PACT meetings. Astley Village, Buckshaw and Euxton PACT meeting no longer took place and whilst there had been an offer of a drop in event, this did not appear to have been arranged.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the minutes of the last meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 31 March 2016 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair; and

2.    That the Chair of the Committee writes to Inspector Cox regarding specific plans for the replacement of PACT meetings.

To note the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel held on 16 June 2016.

Councillor Margaret Lees referred to Minute No 16.OSP.20 on the Organisational Plan, specifically in relation to food banks indicating that there had been a slight decline in the number of people presenting themselves at the food banks in the last 12 to 18 months. In her experience as a Trustee of Living Waters and from links to other charities this did not appear to be the case and this position was supported by other Councillors.

Chris Sinnott advised that additional information would be circulated but information available to the Council through those presenting as homeless and from Living Waters suggested a steadying off of demand with no further approach to the Council by Living Waters for support. People were being offered support in other ways.

Councillor Mark Perks asked for a correction to the wording of Minute No.16.OSP.20 on Working in Schools.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel held on 16 June 2016 be noted and the wording in relation to Minute No.16.OSP.20 Working in Schools, be revised to insert “There was a further discussion about the need for providers and schools to share information to ensure that those children and families in need of assistance are identified and supported effectively.”

1.    The Performance Panel should continue to monitor the position in relation to the demand for food banks with a view to potentially undertaking further scrutiny of this area in the future.

There were no public questions for consideration.

To consider the minutes of the Executive Cabinet meeting held on 17 March 2016 (enclosed).

RESOLVED –

1.    That the minutes of the Executive Cabinet meetings held on 17 March and 30 June 2016 be received;

2.    That in respect of the Scrutiny Review of Sickness Absence, the Chair requested that the Executive Member for Resources respond as soon as possible to the report’s recommendations, with a view to implementing them in the very near future; and

3.    That the Executive be urged to respond to the Scrutiny Review of the Single Front Office report as soon as possible. Further to ongoing concerns about contact centre telephone response rates, it was agreed that performance information would be brought to the next meeting of the Performance Panel for consideration.

To view the notice of Executive decisions published on 21 June 2016 click here.

Members considered the Notice of Executive decisions published on 21 June which gave notice of key and other major decisions which the Executive Cabinet and Executive Members expected to take.

RESOLVED – that the Notice of Executive Decisions be received.

To consider the annual report of the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in 2015/16 (enclosed).

Members received the report of the Chair and Vice Chair on the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Performance Panel and the Task Groups in 2015/16. The report would be forwarded to full Council for their meeting in July as required by the Council’s Constitution.

The report contained summary information on the key areas of work undertaken by the Committee including:

·         Challenging Performance including inviting Executive Members to the Committee to talk about their portfolio performance specifically on time credits; the play and open space strategy; planning; welfare reforms; Market Walk and the town centre.

·         Task Group Reviews on the Single Front Office and Staff Sickness Absence

·         Crime and Disorder Scrutiny on PCSO deployment in neighbourhood policing

·         Call in of an Executive Member decision on Community Action Plans

·         Financial Scrutiny of the draft budget proposals for 2016/17

The Chair thanked Members and Officers for their contributions to the work of the Committee in 2015/16.

RESOLVED – that the Annual Report be noted and forwarded to the Council meeting on 19 July 2016.

To note the updated Work Programme for 2016/17 (enclosed).

The next Task Group topic has been agreed as Child Sexual Exploitation and the first meeting takes place on 2 August 2016.

Members considered a draft work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Performance Panel and Task Group topic areas for 2016/17.

The Chair reported that the next Task Group topic was Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Safeguarding Issues. A Task Group had been established consisting of Councillors Roy and Margaret Lees; Sheila Long; Richard Toon; Kim Snape; Alistair Morwood; John Dalton; and Mark Jarnell. Reviewing this topic would also fulfil the crime and disorder scrutiny requirement for the year. The first meeting of the Task Group would take place on 2 August with Louise Elo, Head of Early Intervention and Support as lead officer.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the suggested work programme for the Committee, Performance Panel and Task Groups for 2016/17 be agreed with the following additions:

a.    The Chair of the Task Group looking into CSE be Councillor Roy Lees.

b.    That a report on Flooding Issues across the Borough be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee in October (with a view to potential further scrutiny by a task group).

c.    That information on staff training particularly in relation to customer services be submitted to the next meeting of the Performance Panel.

d.    Information on the Council’s approach to removal/enforcement of flyposting on lamp posts be circulated to Members of the Committee.

e.    That a potential Task Group topic of a review into the rollout of Superfast Broadband by BT be added to the work programme. This was to look into claims that it was not as widely available as the provider was claiming.