Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillors Howard Greenman, Pip Ridout and David Bowler, and from Irene Kohler and Sue Denmark.

Councillor Bowler was substituted by Councillor Trevor Carbin.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2022

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2022 were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations.

To note any announcements through the Chairman.

Through the Chairman Members were reminded that as of 1 July 2022 the Integrated Care System was formally established across the Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire areas.

With the Vice-Chairman the quality of services offered by NHS healthcare providers within the county was being reviewed. This included reviewing their annual quality accounts. Responses were sent to Wiltshire Health and Care, AWP, South West Ambulance Service Trust, and Salisbury Hospital Foundation Trust.

Finally, it was proposed to hold an inquiry day later in the year to consider pressures on the ambulance system, particularly handovers at accident and emergency units.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on 28 June 2022 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on 30 June 2022 Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

There were no questions or statements submitted.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust is seeking capital funding to re-provide its current day surgery unit (DSU) which is a time-limited building.  Replacing the current facility with an elective care centre (ECC) will provide local people with access to high quality day surgical care in a purpose-built environment

A report is attached from the programme director which updates on progress to date. The Health Select Committee is asked to provide an initial view whether this scheme would constitute a substantial reconfiguration and therefore would require the Trust, and the health system, undertaking formal consultation on the changes proposed.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust was in the process of seeking capital funding in relation to its current day surgery unity, which was a time limited. A replacement with an elective care centre was proposed to provide day surgical care in a purpose built environment. The views of the health Select Committee were being sought, in particular relating to any further engagement.

Laurence Arnold, Programme Director, attended the meeting virtually to present a report detailing the capital development opportunities being explored at Salisbury Hospital. Details were provided of the current level of provision with theatres and patients.

The Committee discussed the report and update. Questions were asked about the types of surgery that would be undertaken, the intention for a dedicated admission area and recovery area for children unlike the current arrangement, and sources of public sector capital.

The Committee did not consider it appropriate to set out in detail how the Trust should conduct consultation, but was supportive of current engagement with GPs and local people.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the programme director for the update; 

2)    To note that the business case for a new elective care centre is at an outline stage and has the support of the Health Select Committee; 

3)    To welcome the engagement undertaken to date with the public and the Health Select Committee; 

4)    To request that the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee are updated when the programme team has a line of sight to future capital funding

In advance of its consideration by Cabinet in September, the Committee is asked to consider the draft Wiltshire Independent Living Strategy 2022/27. The document captures the ambition to maximise the independence, choice and control for people with a learning disability, mental health condition and/or autism spectrum condition (LD/MH/A) in Wiltshire by providing the right accommodation and support in the right place at the right time.

The Committee was asked to consider the draft Wiltshire Independent Living Strategy, which was intended to maximise the independence, choice and control for people with a learning disability, mental health condition and/or autism spectrum condition in Wiltshire, by providing the right accommodation and support.

Councillor Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, SEND, Transition, and inclusion, was in attendance to present the report supported officers. It was reported it was intended the strategy be considered by Cabinet in September 2022.

The implantation of the strategy formed part of the ongoing Adult Social Care Transformation, and it was expected to see fewer residents in out of county placements, and less time spent in hospital.

The Committee discussed the update and strategy. Details were sought on budgetary implications, and it was anticipated costs would reduce as providing residential care was more expensive than supporting independent living. It was also stated that due to ageing populations there were many younger people who would need assistance to support their parents as their health declined. Details were sought on attracting providers, promotion of the Shared Lives service and need to recruit more carers. There was also discussion of day care facilities and the benefits of mixed housing developments in place of retirement communities.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the cabinet member and officers for the report; 

2)    To welcome and support the recommendations of the Strategy as captured in paragraph 19 of the report; 

3)    To invite further updates to the Committee on future delivery of the Strategy. 

A report is attached analysing the impact of support that has been provided to the adult social care market in partnership with Wiltshire Care Partnership and the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (now ICB).

The Committee is invited to note the progress to maintain and build relationships with Wiltshire providers as well as the future programme of work.

A report was provided analysing the impact of support that had been provided by the council to the adult social care market in partnership with Wiltshire care Partnership and the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, not the Integrated Care Board. Councillor Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, SEND, Transition, and inclusion, was in attendance to present the report supported officers and Jo Howes, Wiltshire Care Partnership, attending virtually.

Details were provided of the approach taken, accelerated during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, to enable the team at the council to be a ‘one stop shop’ for providers, with close collaboration with Health providers. The collaboration enabled clearer understanding of expectations for providers, co-producing local criteria with the care partnership, and enabled easier discussion of more difficult issues as the service returns to a more regular footing. The collaboration also involved working with GPs and advisory groups.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the cabinet member and officers for the report;

2)    To note the positive relationships that have been developed with care home provider market during the pandemic; 

3)    To commend the collaborative work that has significantly accelerated between the council, Wiltshire Care Partnership and system health partners in response to the challenges of the pandemic. 

An update report outlining the key issues currently facing SWAST is attached for review – report to follow.

The Committee is invited to consider the report and raise questions as felt appropriate.

A report had been provided by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) on recent activity in Wiltshire and the wider region. The report was presented by Jess Cunningham and Paul Birkett-Wendes attending virtually.

A summary was provided of the current situation, with it stated the Trust was broadly back to pre-pandemic levels of activity. Investment had been made to mitigate issues, however handover delays were currently considerable, around 1600 hours lost per week against a pre-pandemic average of 4-500 hours. Action plans had been prepared with projected trajectories to reduce this by 70% across Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire, however this was currently running behind schedule.

The Committee noted the report and systemic nature of some of the issues affecting the Trust, and was supportive of holding an inquiry day to look into the pressures and monitor progress on mitigation measures. The impact on staff was highlighted, being required to support patients for potentially long periods which was not part of their intended role, as well as the significant delays in responding affecting the public.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the officers for the report; 

2)    To note the systemic pressures currently placed upon the system; 

3)    To agree to a Health Select Committee inquiry day in Autumn 2022 to look at the system challenges and potential solutions 

The Committee is invited to review its forward work programme in light of the decisions it has made throughout the meeting.

The Forward Plan was presented for discussion, and it was,

Resolved:

To note the forward work programme.

To confirm the date of the next ordinary meeting as Thursday 15 September, at 10:30am.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 15 September 2022.

To consider any other items of business that the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.