Agenda item

“Oxfordshire County Council is deeply concerned about the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). In particular we are concerned about the implications for Adult Social Care in the County, and for our infrastructure as Hospitals close and services are centralised. The Consultation with Oxfordshire has been derisory with the full plan not having been made public during the numerous meetings which have been held. This Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health asking him:

(a)       How the area was decided?  BOB covers 14 Local Authorities with 5 having responsibility for Adult Social Care;

(b)        What consideration has been given to the implications of putting increased pressure on the fragile coalitions across this area as plans are delivered?

(c)       What evidence is there that this approach to delivering savings of the magnitude required will work? Particularly in relation to reduced activity and the need during transformation to run 2 systems. What will happen if it doesn't?

(d)        Why the NHS workforce, the public and politicians have not been involved in shaping the plan?

(e)       Given that local government, in relation to Adult Social Care has unrivalled insight into how services can be transformed. Why is the process so NHS centric?

Councillor Phillips moved and Councillor Heathcoat seconded the following motion:

“Oxfordshire County Council is deeply concerned about the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). In particular we are concerned about the implications for Adult Social Care in the County, and for our infrastructure as Hospitals close and services are centralised. The Consultation with Oxfordshire has been derisory with the full plan not having been made public during the numerous meetings which have been held. This Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health asking him:

(a)       How the area was decided?  BOB covers 14 Local Authorities with 5 having responsibility for Adult Social Care;

(b)        What consideration has been given to the implications of putting increased pressure on the fragile coalitions across this area as plans are delivered?

(c)       What evidence is there that this approach to delivering savings of the magnitude required will work? Particularly in relation to reduced activity and the need during transformation to run 2 systems. What will happen if it doesn't?

(d)        Why the NHS workforce, the public and politicians have not been involved in shaping the plan?

(e)       Given that local government, in relation to Adult Social Care has unrivalled insight into how services can be transformed. Why is the process so NHS centric?”

Councillor Williams moved and Councillor Coates seconded the following amendment as shown below in bold italics and strikethrough:

“Oxfordshire County Council is deeply concerned about the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) a draft of which is now in circulation. In particular we are concerned about the implications for Adult Social Care in the County, and for our infrastructure as Hospitals close, and services are centralised and more cuts imposed. The Consultation with Oxfordshire has been derisory with the full plan not having been made public during the numerous meetings which have been held. This Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health asking him:

A.How the BOB area was decided? BOB covers 14 Local Authorities with 5 having responsibility for Adult Social Care?

B. What consideration has been given to the implications of putting increased pressure on the fragile coalitions across this area?

C. What evidence is there that this approach to delivering savings of the magnitude required will work? Particularly in relation to reduced activity and the need during transformation to run 2 systems. What will happen if it doesn't?

D. Why the NHS workforce, the public and politicians have not been involved in shaping the plan?

E. Given that local government, in relation to Adult Social Care has unrivalled insight into how services can be transformed. Why is the process so NHS centric? when it directly effects local government Adult Social Care.

F. Why does the Plan (as envisaged in the published draft) include massive reductions in funding further privatisation and closures when these have proved so disastrous in past years.

Council calls upon the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to object to the draft proposals.”

Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 52 votes to 3 .

The substantive motion was then put to vote and was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: (unanimously)

“Oxfordshire County Council is deeply concerned about the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). In particular we are concerned about the implications for Adult Social Care in the County, and for our infrastructure as Hospitals close and services are centralised. The Consultation with Oxfordshire has been derisory with the full plan not having been made public during the numerous meetings which have been held. This Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health asking him:

(a)       How the area was decided?  BOB covers 14 Local Authorities with 5 having responsibility for Adult Social Care;

(b)       What consideration has been given to the implications of putting increased pressure on the fragile coalitions across this area as plans are delivered?

(c)        What evidence is there that this approach to delivering savings of the magnitude required will work? Particularly in relation to reduced activity and the need during transformation to run 2 systems. What will happen if it doesn't?

(d)       Why the NHS workforce, the public and politicians have not been involved in shaping the plan?

(e)       Given that local government, in relation to Adult Social Care has unrivalled insight into how services can be transformed. Why is the process so NHS centric?”