To receive an update from the Assistant Director – Commissioning, Adult Social Care on the Council consultation on options for a Local Healthwatch for Havering.
Minutes:
The Chairman explained that the meeting had been called for officers to
explain to the Committee the final results of the consultation on a Local
Healthwatch model for Havering. Recent Executive Decisions on
Healthwatch had been published but this did not affect the purpose of this
meeting.
The main themes to come out of the consultation included that a strong
local voice was required for Havering and that a joint model with e.g.
Barking & Dagenham would not be suitable. Another subject raised was the
importance of building on the LINK’s legacy and on the efforts of LINk
volunteers. A multi-faceted approach was favoured overall but with a local
presence in Havering. A possible sharing of back office Healthwatch
functions was viewed as acceptable by most respondents.
Suggestions made during the consultation for the structure of Healthwatch
included making use of the Council’s Carepoint facility, having nonexecutive
members on the Healthwatch board and using local stakeholders
to recruit to Healthwatch positions. There had been a fairly even split of
responses between the three models suggested as well as a number of
responses that did not indicate support for a specific model.
The Committee agreed that the response rate to the consultation (14
submissions) was very low. Officers confirmed that the consultation had
been advertised on the Council’s website and Twitter page and also via a
global e-mail. Further responses were fed in from meetings held during the
consultation period so that, in total, approximately 200 people’s views were
represented.
As regards funding, the current estimated figure was £107,000 in addition to
the £57,000 currently used to fund Havering LINk. Funding for the
complaints advocacy service was expected to be in the region of an
additional £58,000. Additional funding nationally of £5 million had also
recently been announced. The date for the announcement of the
confirmation of funding levels as well as the release of Department of Health
guidelines on Healthwatch had been confirmed as 20 December 2012.
The overall option for Local Healthwatch in Havering had been confirmed as
option B in the consultation – a Havering stand-alone organisation procured
by London Borough of Havering Council as it was felt this offered the most
flexibility in the Healthwatch model.
The complaints advocacy service was currently procured on a pan-London
basis but would be commissioned by the Council from 1 April 2012. Existing
data indicated that around one third of complaints by Havering residents
about NHS services related to services outside of Havering itself. It had
therefore been recommended to the Cabinet portfolio holder that Havering
should join a pan-London model currently being developed by 27 London
boroughs. This was considered to represent better value for money and
would consist of a two-year contract initially. There would be an option at
the end of this period to continue with a pan-London approach or to bring
the complaints advocacy service back under Local Healthwatch in Havering.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) was originally going to move
entirely into Healthwatch. This had now changed however with Healthwatch
providing only a signposting service as one of its principal Functions. Other
PALS functions would transfer to the CCG.
Officers confirmed that, as a more detailed model of Healthwatch was
developed, the appropriate democratic steps would be taken to ensure
Members were kept informed. Feedback was actively sought from Members
and other stakeholders.
It was reiterated that the LINk legacy was very important and work was
underway with the LINk host organisation – Shaw Trust on an exit strategy.
This would ensure that the relevant LINk assets were handed over to the
new organisation. There was also a working assumption that the current
LINk coordinator post would be able to transfer across to Healthwatch under
the TUPE regulations. The respective roles under the LINk and Healthwatch
were considered to be sufficiently similar to mean that an automatic transfer
of the post between the two organisations would legally apply. This situation
was similar in other boroughs.
The total number of Healthwatch employees in Havering had yet to be
decided and would be a decision for the Cabinet portfolio holder. Advice
from HR and legal would be taken on the TUPE issues. Any TUPE issues
as regards PALS would be more a matter for the CCG.
The Chairman stated that she had found the LINk to be indispensable when
there were problems with health or social care services, particularly the
enter and view power which was undertaken only by volunteers trained to
carry out the visits. She hoped for a similar quality of service from
Healthwatch and it was confirmed by officers that Healthwatch would have
the same enter and view powers.
Members requested that the Committee’s views on Healthwatch be passed
back to the CCG and the CCG representative present confirmed that this
would be done. Office agreed to supply copies of the Healthwatch guidance
to the Committee once this was available.
A Havering LINk representative expressed concern that the funding not
being ring-fenced would lead to Healthwatch not being sufficiently effective.
The LINk however looked forward to working with Council officers to carry
forward the existing LINk work into Healthwatch. The LINk welcomed the
decision to develop option B for Healthwatch in Havering. The Assistant
Director gave his thanks for the support received from the LINk, Shaw Trust
and the Overview and Scrutiny Committees. It was agreed that theproposed Healthwatch model would be brought to the Committee for scrutiny once this had been developed more fully.
The Committee noted the update on the Healthwatch consultation and
related issues.