Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence are listed above.

Members of Health Scrutiny Committee are asked to consider whether they have an interest in any of the matters on the agenda and if so, to formally declare that interest.

Councillor Tariq declared an interest due to being a member of the Health Scrutiny and the Health and Wellbeing Board in Oldham and employed as the Manager of Healthwatch Oldham.

Councillor Rizvi declared an interest due to a close relative working for Liverpool National Health Service.

Councillor FitzGerald declared a prejudicial interest due to being employed as the Head of Finance at Yorkshire and Humber Academic and Science Network.

The minutes from the meeting held on 14^th March 2023 are attached for approval.

The minutes of the meeting held on 14^th March 2023 were agreed as an accurate record.

Questions are invited from members of the public present at the meeting on any matters for which this Committee is responsible.

There were no public questions.

A period of up to 15 minutes will be allocated for questions and supplementary questions from members of the Council who are not members of the committee.

There were no member questions.

Will Blandamer, Executive Director (Health and Adult Care) to provide an overview.

Will Blandamer, Executive Director for Strategic Commissioning provided a presentation to the Committee which gave an overview of:

• The Bury Integrated Care Partnership
• Locality Plan
• Locality Board
• Integrated Delivery Collaborative Board
• Neighbourhood Working
• Children and Young People
• Population health and health inequalities
• Greater Manchester operating model

Following Will Blandamer’ s presentation Councillor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing provided an update to the Committee. Members were advised that officers for the services have worked hard, especially over the last twelve months with the reforms and move to the Bury Integrated Partnership. The partnership has face challenges around urgent care, elective care and reducing health inequalities. The Committee was informed about the good work on Neighbourhood Working and collaborative working with all partners. Adult social care has had many challenges to the budget but there is now the emergence of some projects such as accommodation targeted for adults with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health.

Members were invited to ask questions on the update they received.

A question was raised regarding savings to the Persona service. Members were informed that an employee consultation is taking place, this is not a public consultation and will not change the delivery of the service.

Members sought clarity on the reference to ‘simplifying the system’ and ‘avoiding duplication’. In response Will Blandamer informed the committee that the presentations objective was to outline the system that is complex due to its size and cost. However, members were informed that work has taken place to improve the way in which patients navigate and travel through the system. During the pandemic it is acknowledge that some services were built on top of others and work is being done to unpick this and work with General Practitioners is taking place to explore any key lines of enquiries to support this work. Adrian Crook, Director of Community Commissioning exemplified this point to the Committee by outlining work to improve self-referral opportunities to a range of services.

Cllr Bernstein asked about financial collaboration and pooled budgets; in response the committee were advised by Will Blandamer that examples of this happened between the Clinical and Commissioning Group and Bury Council which allowed the achievement of shared objectives.

Discussions took place regarding the placement of the five neighbourhoods and the pairing on Radcliffe and Bury West.  Members were informed that health and care services are informed by residents and work is taking place to reduced health inequalities.

It was agreed:

Members of the committee noted the update and take forward the points raised.

Councillor FitzGerald to provide an update.

Councillor FitzGerald, Chair advised that the final meeting with Councillor Tariq and Councillor Smith has not yet taken place and therefore asked the Committee to move this item to the November Health Scrutiny Committee. 

It was agreed that:

1. The Task and Finish Group item be moved to the next meeting
2. Reports from the subgroups are shared with members formally so there is a shared understanding of the process and the issues.
3. Member’s to inform Chloe Ashworth, Democratic Services it they would like to join a visit to the Carer’s hub.

Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health to provide an update.

Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health provided a presentation to the Committee on health inequalities. Reducing health inequalities is one of the main aims of Bury’s 2030 LET’S Do It! Strategy.

The presentation included an overview of the following:

1. the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

2. the Health Inequalities In Bury Position Paper

3. the underpinning framework

4. the governance and structure for reporting

5. the metrics to review progress

Discussions took place regarding the reference within the presentation to the walking a cycling strategy. In response members were informed by Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health advised in his role anything that can be done to promote active travel will be supported, including fit for purpose walking and cycling infrastructure. Further queries were raised regarding planned development that may stop the ease of access to safe walking and cycling routes. Jon Hobday offered to circulate details of the Walking and Cycling Forum where concerns can be channelled and explored in further detail.

A member questioned what work is being done for people with Learning Disabilities and severe Mental Health as this is identified in the report as those with the starkest health inequalities. Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health advised that those with severe mental illness (SMI) have a higher smoking prevalence so work has taken place with Pennine to have a ‘swap to stop’ initiative to provide vapes to support people with SMI to stop smoking.

In conclusion Councillor FitzGerald, Chair summarised that we have had a whole system update and the health inequalities update which has embedded the point that there is a social and medical issue when considering updates at Committee meetings.

It was agreed:

1. Officers be thanked for the update.

Attached for discussion.

It was agreed:

1.    This item be noted for information and discussed at the close of the meeting.

Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chair agrees may be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.