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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Jubilee House, 5510 John Smith Drive, Oxford Business Park, Oxford, OX4 2LH

Contact: Colm Ó Caomhánaigh, Tel: 07393 001096  Email: colm.ocaomhanaigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome by Chairman, Councillor Ian Hudspeth

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed all to the Meeting.

 

He suggested taking Item13, Healthwatch Report before Item 9, Health and Care Planning Framework – outputs from the work in OX12.  This was agreed.

 

2.

Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments

Minutes:

With the consent of the Chairman, Professor Jonathan Montgomery attended for Dr Bruno Holthof.  Apologies for absence were received from Lucy Butler.

 

3.

Declarations of Interest - see guidance note opposite

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

4.

Petitions and Public Address

Minutes:

The following requests to speak on Item 9 were received:

 

Maggie Swain, Save Wantage Hospital Campaign Group

Bill Falkenau, Clerk, Wantage Town Council

Bernard Connolly, Wantage & Grove Campaign Group

Terry Knight, Save Wantage Hospital Campaign Group

Julie Mabberley, Chair of the Stakeholders’ Reference Group

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Grove and Wantage

 

The Chairman decided to take the speakers at the start of Item 9.

 

5.

Note of Decisions of Last Meeting pdf icon PDF 395 KB

To approve the Note of Decisions of the meeting held on 26 September 2019 and to receive information arising from them.

 

Minutes:

The Notes of the Meeting held on 26 September 2019 were approved and signed.

 

Ansaf Azhar gave an update on the coronavirus.  As of the previous day, 130 people had been tested in the UK and all were clear.  The current advice is that anyone who has travelled to Wuhan should self-isolate for 14 days and if any symptoms emerge, they should dial 111.

 

There is no specific regional communication on this.  It is all being handled at a national level and all systems are in place.  Specialist centres have been identified to deal with any cases.

6.

Annual reports from Adult Safeguarding Board and Children Safeguarding Board pdf icon PDF 95 KB

14:05

 

To receive the annual reports of the safeguarding boards.

 

The reports will be presented by:

·         Dr Sue Ross, Chair of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board

·         Richard Simpson, Independent Chair, Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dr Sue Ross, Independent Chair of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board, introduced its Annual Report.  The number of concerns raised was just under 5,000.  Around one quarter were assessed as requiring follow-up under safeguarding procedures while the rest were followed up in other ways.  She noted that the Board only meets four times a year.

 

Where death or serious harm occurs a Safeguarding Adult Review takes place.  There are several in train at the moment as well as a review of deaths related to homelessness.

 

Councillor Andrew McHugh asked if she could summarise the 65 cases where ‘risk remains’.  Sue Ross responded that the cases were all very individual, many were very complex.  Her main concern was with cases that might be ‘under the radar’.  She accepted the criticism that cases could be dealt with more quickly but reminded the Board that only she and one other board member were dedicated to this.

 

Stephen Chandler added that the local authority monitors themes and learns from the cases, drawing thematic examples.  Having looked closely at cases where there has not been reduced risk, he is assured that all that could be done has been done.

 

Stuart Bell asked about the three areas outlined on Agenda Page 22 where governance falls to other partnerships.  Sue Ross responded that there needs to be some creative thinking about how to challenge overlapping interests.

 

The Chairman thanked the Independent Chair for the report and for her work.

 

Richard Simpson, Independent Chair of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board, summarised the Annual Report – the last report under the old guidance.  The new guidance will reflect the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements led by an Executive Group involving the County Council, Clinical Commissioning Group and Police.

 

Oxfordshire combines with Buckinghamshire in reviewing child deaths.  There is a reciprocal arrangement with Hampshire regarding scrutiny as well as Oxfordshire’s own scrutiny process.

 

Last year’s annual conference was focussed on contextual safeguarding and a working party was formed between Barnardo’s and the County Council.  This year’s conference will be on the voice of the child.

 

Richard Simpson welcomed the engagement with Compass – only one school has not been involved.  While access levels have been impressive, this puts pressure on the service.  He believes that the increase in reports of domestic abuse shows that more people now believe that it is safe to report.

 

Councillor Andrew McHugh asked the situation with regard to children who are home schooled.  Richard Simpson responded that there is minimal scrutiny.  This issue is related to the problem of school exclusions.  The government needs to legislate.

 

The Chairman confirmed that the County Council had lobbied the Minister on this issue.  He asked if the police had a consistent representative on the new Executive Group.  Richard Simpson said that it was relatively consistent, but the Thames Valley Police had to cover 14 safeguarding boards and there was no doubting their commitment.  Yvonne Rees added that the police representative was always fully briefed and added a lot of value  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Integrated Care Partnership development - an update

14:25

 

A presentation to update the HWB on recent developments in the Integrated Care System, Integrated Care Partnership in Oxfordshire and the process for developing a single accountable organisational structure and management team from all CCGs.

 

Minutes:

Louise Patten gave a presentation.  The three CCGs (Bucks, Oxon and West Berks) have approved having a single accountable officer following an engagement process.  This is separate to consultation on a possible merger of the CCGs.  They are still separate organisations.

 

She outlined the structures operating at various population scales: the Integrated Care System (ICS) over the three counties; Integrated Care Partnerships (ICP) at county level; Area Networks, for example the Horton catchment; and Primary Care Networks (PCN) at community level.

 

The ICP is a way of operating, not a new organisation.  It includes four transformation programmes.  All reports on transformation come to the Health and Wellbeing Board and therefore into the public domain.

 

Tracey Rees asked where the patient voice will be heard, if it would be similar to the way the trusts operate.  Louise Patten responded that it still needs to be worked out and this Board and Oxfordshire Wellbeing Network can help to shape it.  The need for clear communication with the public on these changes was stated.  There are different options including the use of social media.

 

Jonathan Montgomery added that there have been discussions between the chairs in the NHS on this.  He believed that governance and feedback should be separated.  The Chairman added that feedback could also come through councillors.

 

Councillor Lawrie Stratford commented that while PCNs sound good, he is concerned that in some cases decisions are being made primarily for the convenience of the GPs.

 

Kiren Collison noted that PCNs only started operating in July in a contractual way.  Some have been better than others with public engagement. The CCG is trying to support them.

 

8.

Oxford Tobacco Control Strategy

14:40

 

A verbal update on preparation of new Tobacco Control Strategy and Smoke Free Pledge.

 

Minutes:

Ansaf Azhar gave a verbal update on the proposed tobacco control strategy.  Smoking is a major factor in health inequality.  While the numbers smoking in the county fell from 83,000 in 2011 to 55,000 in 2018, those remaining – about 10% - are hard to reach.  The aim is to bring it down to 5% by 2025.

 

Proposed measures include more prevention – dissuading people from starting to smoke, more smoke-free areas such as parks and continuing to offer support for smoking cessation.

 

Among those with mental health problems the smoking rate is over 35% and with routine manual workers it is 20%.  It is intended to take a more targeted approach with smoking cessation services going forward.

 

Smoking is still the highest preventable cause of ill health.  A draft strategy will be circulated.

 

Councillor Andrew McHugh supported the strategy as outlined.  He said that primary legislation is needed to ensure that tobacco licences are not returned when they are under appeal as happened recently in Banbury. Illicit tobacco is a major factor in organised crime.

 

Councillors Steve Harrod and Lawrie Stratford raised the issue of e-cigarettes and what restrictions are appropriate.  Ansaf Azhar noted the NHS England advice that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than tobacco.  There have been isolated cases relating to certain unregulated brands.  Authorities have to respect the evidence.  e-cigarettes and vaping are not considered ‘smoking’.

 

He concluded by stating that upstream preventative measures require partnership.  This strategy could be adapted for other issues.

 

Kiren Collison said that the NHS was fully behind the strategy.  The Chairman noted that there was clearly broad support from this Board.

 

9.

Healthwatch report pdf icon PDF 172 KB

15:30

 

To receive an update from Healthwatch.

 

Minutes:

Rosalind Pearce, Executive Director, introduced the Healthwatch report which focussed on observation of the process of using the Health and Care Planning Framework in the OX12 project.  When the framework approach was established for OX12, the Trustees asked her to observe the process.  She noted that it was difficult at the start but that trust was build up.  There was a wide range of representation from the community.

 

She expressed concern about capacity issues with Primary Care Networks.  She could see no tangible change that came from the stakeholders’ group work.  They had been fortunate to have people with the time and skills – this will not always be the case.  In summary, the biggest questions were around leadership and resources.

 

10.

Health and Care Planning Framework - outputs from the work in OX12 pdf icon PDF 450 KB

14:50

 

To discuss outputs from the work with local stakeholders and plan next steps.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Maggie Swain, representing Save Wantage Hospital Campaign Group and a member of the Stakeholders’ Reference Group, noted that the hospital had 18 beds before it was reduced to only 12.  People from outside OX12 have difficulty accessing Wantage due to a lack of public transport.  She said that the claim that re-opening the closed beds was not viable was not substantiated in the report.

 

Bill Faulkner, Clerk, Wantage Town Council, had circulated a letter to members of the Board in advance.  He said that the report had failed to identify the needs of the area.  The process failed and the Town Council called for the report to be withdrawn.  It was supported by Grove Parish Council in this.  The Town Council wished to work with the project team on solutions.

 

Bernard Connolly, representing Wantage and Grove Campaign Group and a member of the Stakeholders’ Reference Group, said that the report ignored the views from the consultation process that people wanted the beds reopened.  He believed that the process was driven by the desire to save money.  There was nothing to help with the shortfall of GPs in the area.  He asked for the report to be withdrawn.

 

Julie Mabberley, Chair of the Stakeholders’ Reference Group, was unhappy that she was only able to see the report on 22 January and had no opportunity to comment before publication.  The report only includes plans for Wantage Community Hospital and yet people were told on several occasions that it was not part of the project.  She criticised the lack of evidence behind the proposals and supported the Town Council request to withdraw the report.

 

Terry Knight, representing Save Wantage Hospital Campaign Group, said that he had been involved in all the discussions since the closure but did not recognise some of the issues in the report as ever being discussed.  He believed that the report was a top-down exercise and the decision had been made to close the hospital.  The process was deeply flawed and the report should be rejected.

 

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Grove and Wantage, said that despite her reservations about the process she decided to participate.  It was very disappointing that there was only one question about the hospital on the questionnaire.  One thousand people marched and ten thousand signed a petition to say that they wanted the hospital back.  She believed that the report was not fit for purpose but she wanted to work with the team towards solutions.

 

Jo Cogswell, Director of Transformation, OCCG and Senior Responsible Officer for the OX12 project, introduced the report.  The Board had approved the Framework.  The premise was to understand the needs now and in the future, assess gaps and identify strengths.  She was grateful for the hard work and insight of the stakeholders’ group.

 

A parallel report was going the Joint Oxfordshire Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) the following week.  There will be a need for consultation on specific issues and no decisions have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Health and Care Planning Framework - project scope for North Oxfordshire pdf icon PDF 158 KB

15:00

 

To discuss plans for work with local stakeholders in Banbury.

Minutes:

Catherine Mountford, Director of Governance, OCCG introduced the report on the proposed approach in applying the Health and Care Needs Framework in Banbury and asked for the formal endorsement of the Board.

 

Jonathan Horbury, Programme Director, Oxfordshire Integrated Care Partnership, stated that there was a conjunction of opportunities at this time with work on healthy place shaping, a projected increase in the town’s population by 23% by 2027 and the establishment of the Banbury Primary Care Network.  Cherwell District Council is fully committed to working with the project.

 

Ansaf Azhar added that one of the ten most deprived wards in the County is Banbury-Ruscote and it has been chosen to be the first to have a ward profile completed and that will feed into the Banbury work.  He referred to research that indicated that health outcomes are more affected by socio-economic and environmental factors (80%) than health services (20%).

 

Jonathan Montgomery expressed support for the project and noted that work on redevelopment is underway at the Horton and will progress alongside the is project.

 

Councillor Lawrie Stratford welcomed the proposal.  He had been asked if this was phase 2 of the Brighter Futures programme.  He hoped that it would involve similar community engagement especially around lifestyles and that the framework would be rolled out elsewhere.

 

Tracey Rees asked if there was a role for the voluntary sector or if it focused on statutory organisations.

 

Jonathan Horbury responded that they were committed to making sure the voluntary sector was involved.  There would be a series of workshops starting this summer.  Catherine Mountford added that statutory organisations would be providing officers.

 

Kiren Collison said that the project would be a key way of identifying health inequalities.  Events were lined up already.  The Thames Valley Police will be involved as well, providing important local intel.  The Health and Wellbeing Board can ensure that the different strands of work are linking and not duplicating.

 

The Chairman noted that it was important to include the built environment and better planning in the process.

 

The Board thanked Catherine Mountford for the report and AGREED the recommendations as follows: to

 

·         endorse and support the Banbury Health and Care project; and

·         note the project’s organisation and expect update reports on progress and resulting recommendations.

 

12.

Report from the Oxfordshire Stakeholder Network event, 18 November pdf icon PDF 293 KB

15:10

 

To receive feedback from communities of interest.

 

Minutes:

Rosalind Pearce, Executive Director, Healthwatch, presented the report on the first network event that they had organised.  Over 100 attended from 75 organisations.  This Board was well represented and some members responded to feedback from participants at the end of the session.

 

The key themes identified that affect wellbeing were: isolation, access, transport and services.  The general feedback was positive.  People could see that they were being listened to.  Communication has continued after the event.  It wasn’t entirely successful at reaching organisations not traditionally engaged.  It is hoped that the next event will be more rooted in the community – designed by community groups.

 

There were two questions for the Board: to have a meeting with the Growth Board particularly on transport issues and report back; and to consider the sustainability, growth and development of community organisations.

 

The Chairman confirmed that there would be an informal meeting between this Board and the Growth Board.  The latter has been successful in attracting funding that will help delivery.

 

Jonathan Montgomery observed that the first meeting was dominated by health and hoped that wellbeing would be the focus of the second meeting.  Rosalind Pearce confirmed that.

 

Stuart Bell stated that the Buckinghamshire Health and Wellbeing Board meeting had made the same point – housing and criminal justice were identified as key factors.  He also hoped that other voluntary groups that are not providers be involved such as the Rotary Club for example.

 

The Chairman thanked Healthwatch for the report.

 

13.

CQC Plan update pdf icon PDF 533 KB

15:20

 

To receive an update on the action to:  Review impact of changes to strategy and accountability following revision of Health & Wellbeing Board.

 

Minutes:

Stephen Chandler summarised the report.  The Action Plan was submitted to the Care Quality Commission in March 2018.  This is the final report to the Board at the end of 18 months.  Because some tasks went beyond the intention of the recommendation, they are running longer than the intended 18 month period.  The Board is asked to sign off the plan with outstanding tasks to be completed and reported as part of the usual governance arrangements.  He added that the system should be proud of the achievements.

 

Louise Patten reported that the CCG will be using the CQC’s evaluation website and patient experience will be a key factor.

 

Jonathan Montgomery supported closing the Action Plan.

 

The Board AGREED to the closure of the plan and for any outstanding tasks to be completed and reported as part of their existing governance arrangements.

 

14.

Performance report pdf icon PDF 223 KB

15:40

 

To monitor progress on agreed outcome measures.

 

Minutes:

There were no issues raised on the Performance Report.

15.

Reports from the Partnership Board pdf icon PDF 157 KB

15:50

 

To receive updates from partnership boards including details of performance issues rated red or amber in the performance report (above)

 

Reports from:

·         Children’s Trust

·         Better Care Fund Joint Management Group

·         Adults with Support and Care needs Joint Management Group

·         Health Improvement Board

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no questions.  The reports were noted.