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Appendix 1

HEALTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
TOPIC: Implementing ‘Delivering Quality Health Care in Hertfordshire’ (DQHC2) Topic Group
OBJECTIVE: To scrutinise the implementation of the decisions reached by the Hertfordshire Health Trusts in January 2008.
It is proposed that the Health Scrutiny Committee (HSC) adopt a modular approach to scrutiny of the Implementation Plan over the next 12 months. This will be conducted through a topic group which will produce interim reports on its discrete activities to the HSC.
FRAMEWORK FOR SCRUTINY:
Issues and Questions to be addressed:
  1. How are access issues being addressed (including travel distance, appointments, services)?
  2. How does the implementation plan ensure co-ordination of services between trusts and primary care etc?
  3. How does the implementation plan address equalities issues?
  4. How has the patient experience been built into the Plan? (What are the trusts doing to ensure they meet the Department of Health directive on the patient experience? How are they obtaining information about the patient experience? What is done with this information to ensure patient experience is improved? etc)
  5. Is the infra-structure sufficiently robust to support the implementation (IT, patient records transfer, staffing (including administrative staff), duality of infra-structure, communication strategy for public and staff?
  6. What will be the impact of the SHA proposals – ‘Towards the best, together’?
[Note: These are generic questions which, amongst others, may be applied to other HSC topic group work.]
OUTCOME: To establish that the implementation of the decisions made by the Hertfordshire health economy (January 2008) will “ensure that local health services improve and are truly fit for purpose over the years to come” DQHC Full Consultation Document (p7).
CONSTRAINTS: Elections during 2009 (timescales, effect on district/borough and county membership), impact of the health trusts seeking foundation trust status, staffing (scrutiny and democratic officer support), Cancer Care Services Review, Mental Health Services Review.
METHOD:Topic Group / Target Start date:Autumn 2008
Target date for report to Health Scrutiny Committee: Autumn 2009
MEMBERSHIP:Sara Johnston, Lin Martin-Haugh, David Miller (Vice-Chairman), Sally Newton (Chairman), Jeremy Pearce, Bill Storey, Mark Watkin
SOURCES OF EVIDENCE WITNESSES:
  • User/Carer Groups
/
  • Strategic Health Authority

  • ICAS (Independent complaints and advisory service)
/
  • Hertfordshire Health Trusts

  • County Council officers and portfolio holders
/
  • Unions and hospital staff groups

  • District/Borough Council officers and portfolio holders
/
  • Professional organisations

  • Hertfordshire LINK (Local involvement network)
/
  • NICE (National institute for health and clinical excellence)

  • PALS (Patient advisory and liaison service)
/
  • Others – to be identified as the Topic Group progress their work

  • Strategic Transport Group

HCC CHALLENGES: How this item helps deliver the Challenges(italics indicate those that apply)
1.Helping people feel safe & secure
2.Maximising opportunities for children & young people
3.Supporting the independence of the growing number of older people
4.Tackling the causes and impact of congestion
5. Dealing with worn out roads and pavements
6. Reducing the impact of new development on the environment
7. Maximising efficiency savings
CfPS (Centre for Public Scrutiny) OBJECTIVES: How this item delivers these objectives(italics indicate those that apply)
  • Provides ‘critical friend’ challenge to executive policy-makers and decision-makers
  • Enables the voice and concerns of the public to be heard
  • Is carried out by ‘independent minded governors’ (in this case county and district/borough councillors) who lead and own the scrutiny role
  • Drives improvement in public services

HOW THE ITEM INFORMS THE STANDARDS FOR BETTER HEALTH
C6 Health care organisations cooperate with each other and social care organisations to
ensure that patients’ individual needs are properly managed and met.
C13 Health care organisations have systems in place to ensure that
a) staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect;
b) appropriate consent is obtained when required for all contacts with
patients and for the use of any patient confidential information; and
c) staff treat patient information confidentially, except where authorised by
legislation to the contrary.
C17 The views of patients, their carers and others are sought and taken into account in designing, planning, delivering and improving health care services.
C18 Healthcare organisations enable all members of the population to access services equally and offer choice in access to services and treatment equitably.
C22 Health care organisations promote, protect and demonstrably improve the health of the
community served, and narrow health inequalities by
a) co-operating with each other and with local authorities and other organisations;
c) making an appropriate and effective contribution to local partnership arrangements including Local Strategic Partnerships and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
SUPPORT:
Scrutiny Officer: Tom Hawkyard
Lead Officers: Chief Executives of each of the Hertfordshire Health Trusts
Democratic Support: Laura Shewfelt
Approved by Health Scrutiny Committee on: 21/10/08 and 7/7/09