Agenda and minutes

Apologies received from Councillor King Lawal

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor King Lawal and Councillor John McGhee, for whom Councillor Zoe McGhee attended as a substitute.

No declarations were made.

Background to the new Scrutiny arrangements and Terms of Reference for the Committee

The Committee considered a report by The Head of Democratic Services, which set out the changes to the Council’s scrutiny arrangements, following the decision of Full Council on the 30th March 2023; particularly those concerning the Health Scrutiny Committee.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         Members requested an update regarding ongoing work at Kettering General Hospital for a future meeting of the Committee.

·         Regarding collaboration between different health services, members queried whether The Health Scrutiny Committee would be able to scrutinise underperforming general practice provision by third party providers.

·         Members requested the contact details of local authority public health officers and Integrated Care Board members. 

·         Members expressed concern regarding the accessibility to health services for North Northamptonshire residents and suggested that professionals within the healthcare sector be invited to future Committee meetings to discuss this issue.

·         One member queried whether a new hospital could be constructed entirely altogether within North Northamptonshire, rather than developing the existing Kettering General Hospital.

In response, The Executive Director of Adults, Communities and Wellbeing clarified that:

·         Scrutiny of services delivered through third party providers would be carried out through The Integrated Care Board. Senior Integrated Care Board members would also attend future meetings of Health Scrutiny.

·         The funding which Kettering General Hospital had received from central government was not sufficient to construct an entirely new hospital therefore, any new construction would have to fit within these funding parameters. Nevertheless plans were ambitions and aimed to significantly improve clinical and treatment areas.

RESOLVED that: The report be noted.

Background to Integrated Care System and its aims and ambitions

The Committee considered a presentation by The ICS Place Director, which outlined the integrated care system in North Northamptonshire.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         One member queried whether it would be beneficial to instead construct smaller emergency care units, such as those in existence in Corby, should sufficient funding not be made available to build a new hospital in North Northamptonshire. The member suggested that this approach could resolve transport issues of travel distances.

·         Members praised the work that had been put into the integrated care system but acknowledged that this approach was overdue. One member suggested that tangible improvement across the health sector could not be achieved without both sufficient funding and clear communication between the local authority and North Northamptonshire communities.

·         Members requested the calendar of ‘LAP’ meetings from officers, so that they could also attend.

In response, The ICS Place Director clarified that:

·         The North Place Development Board drove hospital development planning. Senior Executives from Kettering General Hospital, who also sat on the Board, recognised that their strategy needed to encompass Place and outreach engagement within local areas.

The Executive Director of Adults, Communities and Wellbeing clarified that:

·         A viable business case did not exist to build multiple urgent care centres, due to the population size of North Northamptonshire. The local authority would instead seek to explore development of existing properties to create smaller community hubs, to address care early and prevent urgent/emergency cases.

·         The local authority spent approximately £1.2 billion across healthcare annually. Identifying efficiency of services and determining value for money would continue to be pivotal in the maintenance of strong healthcare services within North Northamptonshire.

RESOLVED that: The report be noted.

The Chair thanked the Committee for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8:35pm.