Agenda and minutes

Apologies were noted from Councillor Andrew Murday, with Councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister substituting; Councillor Sam Gibbs, with Councillor Roberta Swiers substituting, and Councillor Liz Colling, who was attending virtually.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2025 as an accurate record, and for the Chair to sign them.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2025, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

All Members are invited to declare at this point any interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

Report of the Senior Democratic Services Officer, updating the committee on progress made against matters arising at the previous meeting.

The Committee considered the report of the Senior Democratic Services Officer, updating on progress on issues and actions raised at the last committee meeting.

The Renal Services Update, which had been planned for this meeting, had been deferred for consideration at the 3 October meeting.  The report also included an update on ongoing work to include regular updates from all ICBs in the North Yorkshire area, and a confirmation that Lancashire and South Cumbria would start providing short written annual reports to cover the divisions which fell within their ICB footprint, to complement the Humber and North Yorkshire Performance and Progression Report.

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Edward Maxwell of Democratic Services (edward.maxwell@northyorks.gov.uk) by midday on Tuesday 30 September 2025, three working days before the day of the meeting. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item. Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·         at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·         when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

A statement was received from Rachel Prest, which was read to the committee:

Thank you for giving me this opportunity.  My statement or question relates to a matter that's already been mentioned, the provision of renal services within the Ryedale area.  I'm seeking an update on that because this was a matter I brought to the Trust governors about two years ago, and there seems to have been no movement at all.  What plans does the trust have to meet the increasing dialysis need for both locals and visitors?  The demand seems to be outstripping provision.  My concern stems from the fact that when my daughter and family visitors live in Slingsby and Ryedale, they can only come for a maximum of two days as my son-in-law requires dialysis, and there is none available locally.  York hospital have been unable to offer any sessions.  The outlet at Easingwold, which he previously could use, no longer accepts holiday patients and there is no other facility within Ryedale.  He has been able to use the self-care facility at Scarborough Hospital, but that does require a 60-mile round trip along that notorious A64.  There must be other patients and their families in a similar situation, both within Ryedale for local resident use, and for holiday patients coming to the area.  I do ask that the Trust will assess the use of Malton Hospital as a site for dialysis provision for both residents and visitors and I do ask that this receives urgent consideration.

In response, the Chair explained that the Trust had been unable to send a representative to answer the question directly, but that a response had been sought and would be provided as soon as possible.  A meeting with the ICB and representatives from the Trust was scheduled for the following week, where the Chair undertook to highlight the issue again.  It was confirmed that an update from the Trust on the provision of renal services was now scheduled for consideration at the October meeting of the committee.

Report of the Service Development Manager, HAS Planning and Commissioning.

The Head of Service (HAS Planning) and Service Development Manager, Public Health, presented a report updating the committee on the draft North Yorkshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2025–2028.  Overseen by North Yorkshire Council’s Public Health team and a multi-agency steering group, the draft PNA was approved in June 2025 and is currently undergoing public consultation until 19 August 2025.  Following this, the final version will be approved in September and published in October 2025.  The PNA draws on public and stakeholder engagement conducted between January and March 2025, and considers factors such as population growth, rural access, service availability, and the impact of housing development on future pharmaceutical needs.

Key findings indicate good weekday access to pharmacies across most areas, with rural areas supported by 47 dispensing practices. However, concerns were raised about reduced evening and weekend access, particularly following the closure of 100-hour pharmacies in Scarborough and the ongoing closure of Eastfield Medical Centre due to a flooding incident, impacting prescription services.  Members highlighted issues such as medicine shortages, the impact of GP surgery closures on pharmacy access, and the need for better integration between primary care and pharmacy services.  The process for monitoring and responding to change in the sector, such as medicine stock issues and planned closure of pharmacies, was outlined and discussed.

The committee also discussed the importance of planning for future housing growth, the potential of Pharmaboxes and community buses for rural prescription delivery, and the need to support elderly and digitally excluded residents. Officers confirmed ongoing collaboration with local planning teams and acknowledged the need to reference medicines management and digital integration more explicitly in the final PNA.  Members thanked officers for a thorough and well-researched report.

Resolved:  That the report be noted, and officers asked to consider the feedback and comments made by the committee in the final version of the PNA.

Report of Ashley Green (CEO, Healthwatch North Yorkshire).

Healthwatch North Yorkshire’s 2025 report highlighted the significant health and wellbeing challenges faced by the farming community, who often experience high levels of physical pain, stress, and sleep issues.  Despite these concerns, many farmers delay seeking help due to a combination of time constraints, financial pressures, rural isolation, limited awareness of services, and cultural stigma.  The report identifies key barriers to accessing healthcare, including difficulties arranging appointments around unpredictable work schedules, concerns over confidentiality, and a perception that health professionals lack understanding of farming life.  To address these issues, the report recommends bringing services directly to farmers through initiatives such as mobile health units, walk-in clinics at GP practices, and drop-in sessions at auction marts.

The importance of delivering healthcare in familiar settings, such as auction marts, was emphasised, with examples given of mobile health units and walk-in clinics being used to improve engagement.  Members were informed that initiatives such as blood pressure checks and awareness-raising activities had already been trialled, and discussions were ongoing with primary care leaders to explore further outreach.  The potential for GP practices to become more “farming friendly” was also being considered, drawing on models used for veteran-friendly services in Catterick Garrison.

The report was welcomed by members, who praised its clarity and relevance.  Concerns were raised regarding the potential abolition of Healthwatch under proposed government reforms, with members expressing strong support for its continued role in public health advocacy.  The importance of using accessible language in health communications was highlighted, and it was suggested that greater engagement with young farmers and agricultural colleges could help address long-term health inequalities.  The role of trusted professionals, such as vets, in signposting farmers to support was discussed, along with the need to address unintended consequences of policies such as the impact of mental health disclosures on gun licensing.  It was agreed that further exploration of these issues would be beneficial, and that the committee would monitor developments in national health policy affecting rural communities and local scrutiny powers.

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

To review and approve the committee’s Work Programme.

The committee’s outline programme of work for 2025/26 was considered.

Resolved:  That the committee approves the proposed programme of work and incorporation of suggestions for future items.

Friday 3 October 2025 at 10:00, in the Grand Meeting Room at County Hall, Northallerton.

Friday 3 October 2025, at 10:00, in the Grand Meeting Room, County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AD.