Any correspondence, communication or other business brought forward by the direction of the Chairman of the Committee (for information only).
Minutes:
The Chairman, County Councillor John Ennis welcomed everyone to the meeting. He explained that the meeting was being held as a live broadcast meeting using MS Teams and that a recording of it would be available on the Council’s YouTube site, once the meeting had finished.
County Councillor John Ennis and the committee marked the recent loss of County Councillor Geoff Webber, who had been a champion of health services in the Harrogate area for many years.
County Councillor John Ennis made the following announcements.
Mid Cycle briefing on 29 January 2021
A report on access to NHS dentistry, which was provided by Debbie Pattinson, Dental Commissioning Lead, Yorkshire and the Humber, NHSE was reviewed. A number of lines of enquiry were identified and are being followed up, including:
• Details of the funding formula for NHS dentistry and how that is applied to North Yorkshire
• The number of dental practices that provide NHS services, where they are located and how this has changed over time
• Details of the covid-19 recovery plan for NHS dental healthcare provision.
It was noted that the dental practice in Eastfield, Scarborough that had taken NHS patients had been closed at short notice, without alternative local provision being put in place. The matter is being followed up with commissioners in NHS England (Yorkshire and Humber) and it is intended to have an update to the committee at the June 2021 meeting.
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys unannounced CQC inspections in January 2021
In January 2021 there were a number of unannounced inspections of some of the adult inpatient wards in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Scarborough. Following these inspections a letter was sent by the CQC outlining some areas of concern, primarily about risk management processes. These were found to be complex and difficult to follow. TEWV are developing an action plan in response to the CQC findings.
Meeting with Amanda Bloor on 4 February 2021
A regular catch up meeting was held with Amanda Bloor, the Accountable Officer for the North Yorkshire CCG. Updates were received on the following: the vaccination programme; capacity at hospitals and progress with routine operations and procedures; finances; and the development of the local Integrated Care System.
Castleberg Hospital
The last update on the refurbishment of the Castleberg Hospital at Giggleswick had been received by the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee at their meeting on 11 March 2021. The committee had lead on the scrutiny of the refurbishment of the hospital since it was temporarily closed in April 2017.
Working together to improve health and social care for all - White paper setting out legislative proposals for a Health and Care Bill
Summary of key points:
• Integration within the NHS
• Greater collaboration between the NHS, local government and other bodies
• Place-based commissioning still a key element but the commissioning itself will no longer occur at “place” level
• Health and Wellbeing Boards will continue as will Joint Strategic Needs Assessments
• Streamlining of certain procurement and commissioning arrangements
• NHS England and NHS Improvement will formally merge as will Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority
• Greater powers of intervention by the Secretary of State
• Abolition of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and the removal of the power of a local authority to make a referral to the Secretary of State
• The white paper does not directly address the funding and provision of social care and a white/green paper is still expected.
A more detailed discussion will be held at the June meeting of the committee.