Agenda and minutes

Dr Cathy Fines representing the CCG attended the meeting to explain the current consultation that was being carried out in relation to healthcare across Greater Manchester.

The Members of the Cabinet received the consultation pack which set out the need for change across Greater Manchester, proposed changes to primary care, Community based care and hospital services.

Work had already started in relation to extended GP opening hours with Radcliffe residents having access to their GP from 8am to 8pm weekdays and weekend appointments to 6pm. This was also due to be rolled out across Bury from December 2014.

It was explained that the Healthier Together consultation was clinically led and had been developed following input from Doctors, Nurses and other clinicians across Greater Manchester who were concerned that there was not a consistent service across the conurbation. It was also explained that no hospital in Greater Manchester met all of the standards set out in relation to acute medicine or surgery.

There had been many factors considered when coming up with the proposals contained within the consultation document;

·         The amount of money needed to set up and run a local General and a Specialist Hospital;

·         The number of doctors and nurses available to work in each single service;

·         The travel time to get to Specialist Hospitals and how it will affect patients; and

·         The hospital buildings, wards and operating theatres that are available.

The consultation document contained eight options. There were 12 hospitals across Greater Manchester and of these 12 three had already been designated as specialist hospitals due to their location and the services they currently offered, they were;

Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI)

Salford Royal Hospital

Royal Oldham Hospital.

MRI and Salford Royal must be specialist hospitals to continue to provide services that are not provided anywhere else – specialised paediatric at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (Located within the MRI) and the adult neuroscience service at Salford Royal.

Trafford General Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary do not provide any of the services that are being considered within the review so they will not be considered within the review.

Three had been identified as local General hospitals; North Manchester General Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital and Trafford General Hospital. These sites had already been designated as Local Generals due to the service provision already agreed with their local CCGs.

This leaves four hospitals to be considered; Royal Bolton Hospital, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary (Wigan), Stepping Hill Hospital (Stockport) and Wythenshawe Hospital. The options within the consultation document were whether one or two of the remaining four are chosen to become Specialist Hospital Sites.

The consultation document included tables setting out specific factors relating to each option and scoring that had been undertaken in relation to these options.

Those present were encouraged to fill out the consultation documents provided which would give a wider demographic of responses.

It was agreed:

That Dr Fines be thanked for her attendance.

An update will be given at the meeting

Heather reported that the primary and the secondary Circles of Influence had been held and the key findings had been collated.

Those present were asked to split into groups to discuss and prioritise the findings. One topic would be identified for the Youth Cabinet to campaign about.

Following discussion the following topics were identified:-

·         Finding 4. Mental Health and Young People - Young people want more support in school around mental health issues.

·         Finding 17. Young People and Transport – Young people want to feel safer using public transport.

·         Finding 8. Pastoral Support – Young people want more opportunities to access adults they can talk to. Young people want an independent person in schools who can mediate between staff and students.

It was agreed:

That Key Finding 8 – Pastoral Support would be Youth Cabinet campaign for the coming year.

Heather Walton will report at the meeting.

Heather reported that in previous years young people had been given the opportunity to takeover a job for a day.

The takeover day this year was scheduled to be held on Friday 21 November 2014.

Previously young people had taken over jobs within the Council.

Those present were asked where they would like to take over for a day and the following suggestions were put forward:-

·         Takeover a school for a day

·         Police

·         Social Services within Council

·         Takeover a fire station

·         Courts – Hold a mock Trial

·         Council

Heather stated that she would contact the various services to see if something could be arranged.

Emily Kay, the youth MP for Bury and Sam Richardson from Make your Mark attended the meeting to ask what the debate at UK Youth Parliament should be.

It was explained that the UK Youth Parliament’s annual sitting in the House of Commons would be held at Parliament Week which was running from 14 to 20 November and would be televised live on the Parliament Channel.

Parliament Week was an annual national awareness week which aims to build greater awareness, understanding and engagement with parliamentary democracy in the UK.

It was reported that the benefits of this event to MYPs and their constituents are numerous, to name a few:

• Allows MYPs to represent their constituents
• Gives UKYP a national mandate
• Legitimatises the work of UKYP
• Provides statistical evidence of what young people across the UK want changed
• Allows Local Authorities to back up their own campaigns with further evidence
• Launches the 2014 UKYP national campaign with immediate effect
• Provides all MYPs with actions to take following the debate

The topics which were being considered for the debate were reported as:-

·         Votes at 16

·         Fund our youth services, don’t cut them

·         A curriculum to prepare us for life

·         Mental Health

·         Work experience

·         Bring back exam resits in maths and English in English schools.

·         Young people should be directly involved in making laws.

·         Everyone should be paid at least the living wage of £7.65 per hour

·         Give young people a choice in improving their communities.

·         Euthanasia

The topic that received the most votes would be debate.

All those present were asked to take ballot papers and give them out to as many young people as possible in order that as many votes as possible would be cast.

It was also reported that votes could be cast online at www.mym.mi-vote.com

It was agreed:

That Emily and Sam be thanked for their report.

Should Cannabis be legalised?

Those present will be asked to debate the above topic with a view to voting on the subject afterwards.

SHOULD CANNABIS BE LEGALISED

All of the young people present were asked to decide whether they felt that cannabis should be legalised in the UK.

A debate then took place with a vote at the end.

A decision could not be agreed upon as the vote was tied.

It was agreed:

That a debate take place at the next meeting on the issue of “should the age of consent for sex be changed from 16?”

Those present were asked if they had any issues to raise in any other business.

Nothing was raised.

Members were asked for any topic ideas to be discussed at the next meeting of the Youth Cabinet and the following ideas were suggested:-

Make your Mark – update

Anti Social Behaviour

Parks and Countryside

Treacle Campaign