To receive and, if so determined, to agree as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2012. 

RESOLVED: That subject to an amendment to minute number 14, indicating that the Committee were to receive information relating to the costs of the New Health Deal for Trafford consultation, the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2012 be agreed as a correct record. 

Members to give notice of any interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of Personal Interests were reported to the meeting:

Councillor Lloyd, in relation to the Stroke Association;

Councillor Brophy, in relation to her employment within the NHS;

Councillor Taylor, in relation to her employment within the NHS;

Councillor Mrs. Bruer – Morris, in relation to her employment within the NHS.

RESOLVED: That the Declarations of Interest made to the meeting be noted. 

Any other item or items (not likely to disclose "exempt information") which, by reason of special circumstances (to be specified), the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered at this meeting as a matter of urgency.

There was no Urgent Business brought to the Chairman’s attention. 

To receive information for the Committee to consider in relation to the New Health Deal for Trafford consultation which concluded on 31 October 2012;

The Committee are requested to consider and agree a Trafford Health Scrutiny Committee response to go forward to the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, scheduled to take place on 14 January. 

·         Report of the Democratic Services Manager (A)

·         Report of the Strategic Programme Board which met on 19 December 2012 and the minutes arising from this meeting (B) – To follow

·         Minutes of the Strategic Programme Board held on 29 November 2012 (C)

·         Report of the Integrated Care Re-design Board (D)

·         Provider Responses to the Consultation (E)

·         Consultation and Engagement Report (2) (F1 and F2)

·         Public Reference Group Report (G)

·         Equality Analysis Report (H) – To follow

·         Transport Report (2) (I1 and I2)

·         Four Tests of Service Reconfiguration Presentation (K)

The Committee welcomed representatives from NHS Greater Manchester to the meeting. They were in attendance to update the Committee with the outcome of the consultation in respect of the New Health Deal for Trafford and the recommendations of the Strategic Programme Board (SPB) from its meeting on the 19^th December 2012 on the next steps. 

The Assistant Director – Service Transformation for NHS Greater Manchester stated that the SPB had considered the consultation responses and had made recommendations for the proposals to proceed. However, they had identified a number of issues that needed to be met ahead of implementation. The SPB had agreed that the four tests for service reconfiguration had been met and had noted that agreement for the proposed changes had been secured from a wide range of commissioners, providers and organisations.  The SPB also set out their response to the comments of the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee and the Trafford and Manchester Health Scrutiny Committees.

The Chairman also made reference to an open letter covering a number of themes which had been submitted by the Save Trafford General campaign group to the Committee in advance of the meeting.  The Committee’s Chairman thanked the Campaign Group for bringing these issues to the meeting but highlighted that part of the letter referred to a number of issues which were beyond the Committee’s remit and therefore, they would be unable to investigate at the present time. 

The Chairman stated that the purpose of the meeting was to prepare a response that would be fed into the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 14^th January 2013.  These would be considered by a meeting of the SPB on the 15^th January and they would submit recommendations to the Board of NHS Manchester at its meeting on the 24^th January.

The Committee asked a number of questions of NHS representatives at the meeting. In addressing the issues of governance, the Assistant Director – Service Transformation advised the Committee that the five voting Members of the Strategic Programme Board were the Chairmen of the three affected Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Manchester and the Vice Chairman of NHS Greater Manchester. 

Members stated that they were not assured that the deflection of emergency activity from Trafford General Hospital would be achieved without an adverse effect on patients and that the clear interdependencies with Healthier Together meant that the proposals should be considered within the Greater Manchester review of services. 

In response to Members’ concerns, NHS representatives stated that robust tests would be in place to ensure that progressing to model 3 would not affect patient outcomes and that only a very small number of patients would be deflected from Trafford General Hospital to other acute centres. 

In response to the issue of Healthier Together, they stated that a prompt decision on the New Health Deal proposals was needed to ameliorate the financial and clinical issues at Trafford General Hospital. They said that it was not possible  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

To agree the revised Health Overview and Scrutiny Protocols and recommend their adoption within the Council’s Constitution to Council.

The Committee received a refreshed Health Scrutiny Protocol for their consideration and agreement. Following the changes to the Overview and Scrutiny function in May 2012, it provided an opportune time to refresh the protocols and the approach to substantial variations.

The issue of Members requesting information from health bodies was discussed and the Committee were advised that it was important that the Chairman and Vice Chairman possess an overview of the health scrutiny work programme and ensure that requests for information allow for effective and efficient scrutiny. 

Members were advised that as the Protocols represented a change to the Council’s Constitution, they would be submitted to the Executive and Standards Committee prior to their eventual agreement at Council.  Given the number of opportunities for Members to submit further comments prior to their agreement, it was requested that any further comments be provided to the Democratic Services Officer as soon as practicable. 

RESOLVED –

(1)  That the Health Scrutiny Protocol be recommended to Council for approval;

(2)  That any comments on the content of the Protocol be forwarded to the Democratic Services Officer as soon as practicable. 

To receive, for noting, the report arising from Budget Scrutiny 2013/14. 

The Committee received for their information the report arising from Budget Scrutiny which had received prior agreement in the form of a delegated arrangement between the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Scrutiny and Health Committees.  The report documented the findings and recommendations of the budget scrutiny exercise which took place during November 2012. 

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.