Agenda and minutes

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency

Members of the public may make representations/presentations on any substantive matter listed in the published agenda for this meeting, as set out hereunder, relating to a specific matter or an examination of services or facilities provided or to be provided.

In accordance with the Council's Public Participation Rules, the Committee received and acknowledged oral representations made by Mr Wardman, Mr Clinch,  Ms Funnell, Ms Fuller and Mr Wearne, on the matter to be considered by the Committee, namely the wider Devon Sustainability and Transformation Plan (Minute 39) on implications for local community and acute health and social care services. The Chairman responded, thanking the speakers for their attendance and presentations which would be taken into account by the Committee during its subsequent deliberations.

Report by the STP Team attached and presentation by the Chief Executive Lead (STP Team) and Chief Executive Devon County Council  

Ms A Pedder (Lead, Chief Executive, Wider Devon STP),  Ms J Fitzgerald (Chief Officer, NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)) and Ms L Nicholas (Director of Strategy NEW Devon CCG) attended and spoke to this item at the invitation of the Committee along with Dr P Norrey (Chief Executive Devon County Council).

The Committee considered the report of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) Team for Wider Devon on the Plan which had been formally published on 4 November 2016 and circulated to all members of the Council. The STP was the local plan developed by the NHS in Devon working with Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council, to achieve the NHS ‘Five Year Forward View’ and designed to provide the overarching strategic framework to achieve safe, sustainable and integrated local support by 2021.  The Report covered an STP overview and outlined the ‘next steps’.

Ms Pedder with the other NHS representatives also gave a brief presentation covering: the footprint and ambition, the triple aim of the Plan, challenges, STP priorities and the next steps. 

Members recognised the wider funding issues facing the NHS and social care budgets, acknowledging the under investment in areas such as mental health and early care and prevention.  Members accepted – as previously agreed by the County Council – and reflected in the conclusions of the NHS Fairer Funding Task Group – that NHS/social care services were underfunded and acknowledged also the wider expectations nationally that expenditure on health should be closer to 11% of GDP  (currently 7.9%).  Members also heard  and understood the point that were even more resource was made available to the NHS there would still be a need to address current under investment in services and inequalities in provision across the county for the benefit of Devon’s residents.

The Chief Executives of the County Council and the Wider Devon STP re-affirmed  that the County Council was not a formal signatory to the STP nor  did not have to approve or endorse it in whole or in part.  Nonetheless and recognising the County Council’s  involvement in delivery of services generally and in some cases its primary role in securing or co-ordinating the delivery of specific services there would be merit in obtaining agreement to those relevant aspects of the STP, if possible,  enabling progress to be made for those sectors.

The STP Team confirmed/re-affirmed, for the avoidance of doubt, that while reviews of acute services had recently commenced this was only the initial evidence gathering stage which would conclude in March and thereafter consideration could only then be given [having regard to the technical based evidence received] to formulating proposals  [which would also subsequently need to be ‘quality assured’  by NHS England]  for discussion first with this Scrutiny Committee after the County Council elections (possibly June 2017)  and thereafter would then be subject to further public consultations before any final decisions could be made by the Clinical Commissioning Group.

The aforementioned representatives and the Chief Officer for Adult  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.