Agenda and minutes

Please see note (a) at the end of the agenda.

Cllr Stephen Hirst declared a personal interest as a Trustee of Tetbury Hospital.

Cllr Stephen Andrews declared a personal interest as a Community First Responder with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 7 March 2017 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The committee to consider whether it wishes to elect a Vice Chairperson.

The committee chose not to elect a Vice Chairperson at this juncture, but that it would reconsider this option at a later date in the committee’s meeting calendar.

The purpose of this item is to give an understanding of the landscape of health and adult social care in Gloucestershire.

4.1       As this was the first meeting of the committee in the new council it was important to give members an understanding of the landscape of health and adult social care in Gloucestershire. The STP, which sets out the direction of travel for health and social care in the county, was therefore best placed to inform members on the context and direction of travel for health and care services in the county. The Gloucestershire STP Lead gave a detailed presentation and the presentation slides were uploaded to the council’s website for information.

4.2       The presentation described the challenges facing services, which included the projected, significant, increase in the number of people over 65 living with long term conditions, and the projected increase (20%) in the 75 to 84 age group by 2021. Gloucestershire has both an urban and rural landscape and the STP recognised that one size did not fit all, that it was important to fully understand the needs of the local community, and were therefore taking a place based approach to health care.

4.3       The presentation highlighted the significant amount of work in progress to deliver the STP and the many positive health outcomes already being achieved. The detail of the work was being driven forward by a series of system enablers (e.g. workforce development, primary care and estates strategies) with leadership from across the wider health and local authority partnership. The committee was informed that there has been a strong improvement in partnership working across health and social care in Gloucestershire.

4.4       Some members were frustrated by what they felt was a lack of necessary detail in the STP  to help members of the public understand what this meant for them.  The committee was assured that as soon as any proposal for change was ready to go out for consultation the committee, as a statutory consultee, would be consulted.

4.5       There was also a concern that the models of care going forward could impact on the number of beds available in the county. It was explained that the focus continued to be on providing more care in a community setting, which reflected the changing nature of healthcare. Patient safety and levels of need were also key considerations. Changes in bed numbers were not a main focus of the STP. 

4.6       In response to a question it was explained that commissioners had invested more money into Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) and expected that more would be invested in 2018. It was commented that commissioners had invested in mental health at a higher level than the national funding received from the Department of Health.

4.7       The meeting was informed, by a committee member, that she had been informed that there had been occasions when the Vale Hospital Minor Injuries and Illness Unit (MIIU) in Dursley had been temporarily closed and that people had instead been directed to Stroud General Hospital. She hoped that should any proposals come forward relating to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1       The Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) explained that the number of people with a learning disability in employment was at its highest; however the way this indicator was now measured did not reflect this position. A full explanation was in the report.

5.2       The committee was pleased to note the increase in the number of people receiving direct payments, but did ask for some clarity with regard to the process, as there was a concern that some people were having their direct payments withdrawn. The DASS explained that the council had established a dedicated team to encourage people to receive direct payments and facilitate the process. In evaluating this process it had been identified that some people were not using direct payments effectively and that receiving a service in a different way might be the better option for some individuals.

5.3       The Director of Public Health (DPH) highlighted that the number of adults receiving ‘alcohol brief interventions’ indicator was underperforming. The service had previously been achieving target and it was felt that this dip related to the change in provider at the beginning of this year. The DPH expected performance to improve during the first two quarters of 2017/18. The DPH also informed members that the council would be changing how it commissioned NHS Health Checks next year such that those people at most risk would be targeted.

5.4       With regard to drug and alcohol support, there was concern as to access to this service in the Cotswolds; and how young people were supported. The DPH agreed to provide information on these matters outside the meeting.

ACTION:        Sarah Scott

6.1       The Accountable Officer, GCCG, informed the committee there was a new CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework in place. There were six clinical priority areas within this framework and the GCCG’s current assessment was that Cancer, Learning Disabilities and Mental Health need improvement, and Dementia, Diabetes and Maternity were performing well.

6.2       The committee welcomed the commitment to the work relating to dementia. The Deputy Clinical Chair, GCCG, informed the committee that historically there had been a lot of stigma attached to dementia and that a lot of work has been undertaken on a national level to address this issue. It was important to note that a lot could be done to improve the quality of, if not the length, of life of a dementia sufferer. The committee was pleased to note that Gloucester City Council had agreed to become a dementia friendly city, and that organisations such as the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service have been trained in dementia awareness.

6.3       The committee noted that the GCCG and GCC would be tendering for a contract for a community connector service which built on the learning from the village agents service and social prescribing.

The committee noted the report.

The Director of Public Health will present her Annual Report at the meeting.

The committee was pleased to receive this report which outlined how the public grant was spent and information on the health and wellbeing of the residents of Gloucestershire. The report also uses case studies which were particularly helpful in demonstrating how effective interventions have been, in effect, the difference they have made to individual lives. The case study relating to a referral to Slimming World for a diabetes sufferer showed the real change that could be effected by enabling and supporting an individual to take control of their condition (where appropriate); the individual was now free of diabetes.

9.1       The committee congratulated Consultant Nurse Ian Ingledew for being awarded Oncology Nurse of the Year at the British Journal of Nursing (BJN) awards recently.

9.2       The committee was pleased to note that the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GHNHSFT) had not been affected by the recent cyber security attack. Members were informed that GHNHSFT has reviewed all processes following the attack, and has heightened the focus in this area. It was also important that as some systems were shared that all partners were robust in this area.