Agenda and minutes

The Overview Scrutiny and Localism Manager informed the Committee that Mr R Tolputt had replaced Mr M C Dance on the Committee.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 27 July 2009 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman subject to Minute 7 (4)reflecting that the question was asked by Miss Sergison not Mrs Sergison;and Minute 8 sub-paragraph (14) being amended to read

“The Chairman acknowledged due to other commitments Mrs Green had decided not to accept the invitation to be his Vice Chairman. Mrs Green indicated that she would like to be included in the agenda setting process for the Committee and it was confirmed by the Chairman that this would happen.”

Mr Paul Sutton, Chief Executive and Mr Geraint Davies, Director of Corporate Affairs and Service Development, will be in attendance for this item.

(1)               The Chairman welcomed to the Committee Mr Geraint Davies, Director of Business Development and Kelly Dower Technician (training to become a paramedic) of the South East Coast Ambulance Trust to the meeting to respond to the Committees questions on the Trusts proposed  application for Foundation Trust status.

(2)               The Committee had before them a briefing note prepared by the Committees Research Officer Tristan Godfrey which covered:-

(a)   What is a Foundation Trust?;

(b)   The Governance Structure for a Foundation Trust including the role of a Foundation Trusts members, Board of Governors and Board of Directors ;

(c)   Foundation Trust Board meetings;

(d)   The authorisation process for Foundation trust status

(e)   A list of those Foundation Trusts already licensed across the South East and those seeking to be licenced in 2009/10

(f)     Background information to the South east Coast NHS Ambulance Trust application for Foundation Trust status; their consultation document “Your Service,Your Call”;and

(g)   The consultation document questions

(3)   The briefing note also had an appendix setting out the views of Medway Councils Health Overview and scrutiny Committee which had considered the Trusts application for Foundation Trust status on 20 August 2009.

(4)               Also contained within the papers for the Committees consideration was a presentation by Geraint Davies.

(5)                The Committee questioned Mr Davies about the development of the Ambulance Service, the modernisation programme and the benefits from the Trusts perspective of Foundation Trust status.

(6)               Overall, the Committee was pleased to hear about the different ways the Ambulance Trust is developing its service and the opportunities Foundation Trust status will provide the Trust. 

(7)               The Committee asked searching questions about the proposed governance structure and expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest in having the same Chairman for the Board of Directors and Board of Governors.. The Committee noted that this is the way Foundation Trusts are obliged to arrange themselves.

(8)                The Committee asked to be kept informed of how Members of the Board of Governors are selected and appointed, and, in particular how the six local authorities will resolve the issue of choosing the one Governor allocated between them.

(9) The Committee was very pleased to hear the pledge to hold all Board meetings in public, and believes that this, along with related practices such as publishing board papers, will aid transparency and accountability. 

(10) One member of the Committee felt unable to support the Trusts application for Foundation Trust status.

(11) RESOLVED:-that the Committee supports the application of the South East Coast Ambulance Trust for Foundation trust status and delegate authority to the Overview, Scrutiny and Localism Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman and spokesmen of the Committee to agree the formal response of the Committee

(1)  Further to Minute 8 (2009) the Overview Scrutiny and Localism Manager presented a  further paper building on the comments of the Committee at its previous meeting to Refocus and Restructure the Committee

(2) Attached as Appendices to the report were:-

(a)   A Paper on the potential to Refocus and Restructure the Overview and Scrutiny Function which had been the subject of a discussion at all the Policy Overview Committees, the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee, and, would be debated at the County Council meeting on 15 October 2009.

(b)   The terms of reference for a Joint Kent and Medway NHS  Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

(c)   The current protocols for the operation of Health Overview and Scrutiny across the administrative county of Kent.

(3) The Committee were invited to comment on a range of areas of potential development for the Committee:-

Local Involvement Network(LINk)

(4) The Committee noted that the Kent Local Involvement Network has distinct but complementary powers to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Steps which could be taken to develop partnership working included:-

(a) Two LINk representatives to become non-voting Members of the Committee in order to bring matters of concern to the attention of the Committee and provide updates of ongoing work;

(b) Protocols to be drawn up in consultation with the Adult Social Services Policy Overview Committee, Policy Overview Co Ordinating Committee and any other relevant Committees to agree how referrals from the Kent LINk will be managed; and

(c)  LINk to assist in developing a pool of patient representatives who will be able to give a valuable perspective on specific issues.

(5) The Committee endorsed all these initiatives in developing the operation of the Committee for the future.

Borough and District Councils

(6) Proposals for development included more emphasis being placed on all the local authorities across Kent to share work programmes to enable co-ordinated working where appropriate and avoid duplication.

(7) The Overview, Scrutiny and Localism Manager informed the Committee that he was exploring with Scrutiny Officers from all the local authorities across Kent the opportunity to pool resources to deliver a shared work programme

(8) A second suggestion was to set aside two meetings of the Committee in each calendar year to consider issues raised by Borough and District colleagues. After debate this did not receive the support of the Committee

(9) Finally the Committee noted that whilst the protocols for the operation of Overview and Scrutiny of Health across the administrative county of Kent  needed factually updating they were still appropriate and had not been used  as they were intended - particularly the provisions for Joint Committees.

 Medway Council

(10) The Committee noted that consideration was currently being given to the establishment of a Joint Committee with Medway Councils HOSC to examine proposals relating to mental health acute beds in Medway and Swale.

Rapporteurs

(11) The Committee noted that several members of the Committee had already expressed an interest in acting as a rapporteur or leading a small task and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.