Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Apologies were received for Councillors Ron Batstone, Oliver Forder, Debby Hallett and Sally Povolotsky.

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chair. 

No urgent business, but the chair did run through housekeeping matters.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

None.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 2023.

Resolved: Chair suggested that the minutes be approved in the next in person meeting in February. The committee agreed to this.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

The committee considered the work programme.

Committee are to receive a presentation and are invited to ask questions to representatives from NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, regarding community services engagement (note: no papers are required or attached).

The NHS Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB) Community Services Engagement presentation was presented by invited guests Caroline Holmes and Gordon Muvuti. Councillor Helen Pighills, Cabinet Member for Community Health and Wellbeing was also present. The PowerPoint slides were provided.

The presentation provided an update on the board’s integrated community base care programme, which would be informing the recommission of community services from April 2025, whose area included the western part of Vale of White Horse (VOWH).

Below provides a summary of the discussion:

·       A member asked for clarity around the list of contracts and their ability in gaining new contracts with providers, and the different types of health services that would be provided. It was explained that in Swindon it was Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust and they held the community services for the scheme. With regards to Shrivenham (on the BSW ICB border) there were specific areas, such as community nursing and speech therapy, that were provided by Oxford Health. There were also contributions to three Minor Injury Units.

·       A member asked if the GP system fitted into the framework of the programme. It was explained that Elm Tree Surgery was one of the practices within the Swindon locality within the Integrated Care Board and was one of the primary care networks, which spread out into Oxfordshire for social care services and VOWH for some community services. Aim to operate fluidly around geographical boundaries and not let that affect people’s experience of care services.

·       A member commented on the digital platform and how it was progressing to be incorporated into the programme. It was responded that the ICB was developing an integrated care record, which was currently at a variety of levels of integration but was progressing. Aim to see increased opportunity of using digital platforms, such as apps and home monitoring.

·       A member asked for further clarification on dealing with crossing boundaries through their contracts and whether they overlapped. It was recognised that there was an ongoing need for neighbouring Integrated Care Boards to work together and there was real opportunity to build these relationships.

·       Cabinet member for Community Health and Wellbeing was welcomed to ask a question with chair’s permission. She asked about moving people from hospital care to home care and would this be possible in this overlapping boundary. It was responded that not much would change within the current framework, as this was already being done. A change in provider would not change this. Using Swindon as an example, performance levels were good but there were challenges with ambulance queues and handovers at Great Western Hospital.  Discharges were performing well.

·       Vale Council Leader was welcomed to ask a question, with chair’s permission. She asked about the connection between Oxford services and Swindon services, looking through the eyes of Faringdon and the western side of Vale of White Horse District. GP services for Faringdon were mainly BOB ICB, and hospital provision was BSW ICB, whereas Shrivenham GP  ...  view the full minutes text for item Sc29