North Yorkshire County Council

Executive

24 August 2021

Area Constituency Committee Feedback

1.0	Purpose of the Report To bring to the attention of the Executive key issues considered at recent meetings of the Area Constituency Committees.

2.0       Scarborough & Whitby Area Constituency Committee on 9 July 2021

2.1       The Rt Hon Robert Goodwill MP attended the meeting and provided updates on: progress with the national vaccination programme, infection rates relating to the delta variant of COVID-19; the lifting of restrictions, the unprecedented demand on tourism, and need for continued caution in some situations.  He also noted members concern around GP services and their reluctance to return to pre-Covid face-to-face appointments.

2.2       The new Police Fire & Crime Commissioner also attended the meeting and provided a detailed presentation on his initial priorities i.e.:

· Tackling Neighbourhood Crime;

· Protecting the vulnerable and victims;

· Enhancing rural services;

· Ensuring services are fit for the future;

· Force Control Room Improvements;

2.4       He also provided an overview of his plans concerning governance, the commissioning of services, and partnership working on joint priorities.

2.5       The committee received a six-monthly update on Scarborough Hospital from representatives of York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, detailing their continued commitment to providing acute hospital-based services in Scarborough.  Members noted the biggest challenge remained workforce, and that the design of services would continue to change and, in some cases, would involve more networking with other sites and providers.  They were also pleased to note the continued focus on the development and implementation of a clinically led, ward & department based quality improvement project, linked to the CQC action plan.

2.6       Finally, the Committee received a presentation from the CEO of Scarborough & District Citizens Advice which provided an overview of their work throughout the Covid pandemic, and gave examples of the types of problems they dealt with and the various types of support they could provide.  Members noted that the number of people needing advice on a range of problems including issues with housing, debt, benefits, employment, relationships and consumer rights had increased significantly.   They also noted the successful changes to service delivery made in order to ensure service continuation throughout the pandemic, and the support given to CASAD staff and its volunteers to enable them to continue to work at pace throughout.

3.0       Recommendation

3.1       That the Executive notes the report and considers any matters arising from the work of the Scarborough & Whitby Area Constituency Committee detailed above, that merits further scrutiny, review or investigation at a county-level.

Barry Khan

Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services)

County Hall

Northallerton

16 August 2021