To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive, Chairmen of Scrutiny Committees and the Head of Paid Service.

(a)        Tributes

With regret, the Mayor referred to the tragic death of Jo Cox, MP after being attacked in her West Yorkshire constituency the previous month. The Mayor also expressed sadness over the recent terrorist incidents around the world. The Council stood for a moments silence to formally pay it respects to Mrs. Cox and the victims of violent attacks.

(b)        Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours

The Council joined the Mayor in congratulating Mrs. Jacqueline Anne Granger Brown of Altrincham, Chair of Altrincham Fundraising Committee for the Children’s Society, who was awarded the citation of Medallist of the Order of the British Empire for services to Children.

(c)        Awards

The Mayor was pleased to announce that the Council had been highly commended in the Local Authority of the Year and Senior Leadership Team categories at the Municipal Journal Awards on 16 June 2016.

On the same night at another awards ceremony, Trafford Council was also announced joint winner of the NHS Health Education England Learning Together in Health and Social Care Projects Award for its innovative integrated working project called i-Care. The award recognised the bold and ambitious journey the authority had taken to re-shape itself and change the way its people work, including how it operated with key partners from the NHS and other agencies.

(d)        Her Majesty the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

The Mayor also congratulated the Loose Change Buskers from Altrincham who were amongst the recipients of a Queens Award for Voluntary Service having raised a large amount of money for cancer charities by busking. The Mayor hoped Members and officers would get to hear them play as she had invited them to perform in the Crush Hall before the next Council meeting.

(e)        Single Hospital Service

Councillor Williams, Executive Member for Adult Social Services and Community Wellbeing provided the Council with an update on the Single Hospital Service Review and the report of Sir Jonathan Michael, Independent Review Director considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 16 July 2016 which had concluded that a single hospital in the City of Manchester should be pursued.

The proposal would mean enormous organisational change, one of the largest of its kind within the NHS, with the creation of a new single NHS Trust that would take responsibility for the services and assets currently provided by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and the Pennine Acute Trust from North Manchester General Hospital.

Throughout the review, the Council had fully engaged and provided direct input, with the Trafford Health and Wellbeing Board and Health Scrutiny Committee being updated on developments. As things move forward, the Leader of the Council and Executive Member have offered Council support to the hospital trusts and the Executive Member would undertake to provide updates to Members and partners on developments.

(f)         Health Scrutiny Committee Update

Councillor Harding, Chairman of Health Scrutiny Committee advised the Council that following its first meeting of the municipal year, End of Life Care, Homecare and Young People’s Wellbeing within Trafford had been included in the Health Scrutiny work programme. In addition, a special meeting would be scheduled to discuss the Single Hospital Service Review once more information became available. The Committee would also examine proposals for the urgent care centre at Trafford General and the Chairman would update Council accordingly.