Issue - meetings

Report No: OAS/WS/19/009

Councillor Margaret Marks, the Council’s appointed representative on the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee informed the Committee, with the agreement of the Chair, Councillor David Nettleton that all members and substitute members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would receive a link to the Health Scrutiny papers, once published.  This would enable members to consider and inform Councillor Marks of any concerns or suggestions they would like raised at the Health Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee then received Report No: OAS/WS/19/009, prepared by Councillor Marks setting out what was considered at its meeting held on 11 July 2019; being Home Care Procurement (future arrangements for delivery of home care services in Suffolk); and Appointments to Joint Committees and observers, and for the NHS Boards.

Councillor Marks advised the Committee she had been appointed to the following strategic health bodies:

-      CCG Executive Board meetings as an observer;

-      West Suffolk Board meetings as an observer; and

-      The NHS Ambulance Service Trust as a substitute observer.

In addition, Councillor Marks had been nominated as the West representative on the Joint Health and Scrutiny (West, East and North East Essex).  This would be ratified by the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting on 10 October 2019.

The Committee considered the report and asked a number of questions to which Councillor Marks provided comprehensive responses.  In particular discussions were held on the meaning of “re-ablement”; provisions for working across two health authority areas (Suffolk / Cambridgeshire); and standardised care packages and training.

Members shared the same concerns as Councillor Marks, in that some care agencies were recording patients data/medical needs on IPADs, which were then removed from the patients home.  It was felt that a book should be left in the patients home, so that relatives etc. could easily refer to the data record.

There being no decisions required, the Committee noted the report on the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11 July 2019, from Councillor Margaret Marks.