Item 16.7 for 3 Oct 14 GAPF 16 July
NHS GRAMPIAN
Minute of the Grampian Area Partnership Forum (GAPF)
Wednesday 16 July 2014 at 2pm to 5pm
in Conference Room, Summerfield House
Present:
Richard Carey, Chief Executive,
Sharon Duncan, Staff Side Chair/Employee Director
Mike Adams, UCATT
Pauline Bruce, HR Officer
Rebecca Clark, BDA
Susan Coull, Head of HR
Fiona Francey,
Alistair Grant, RCN
Alan Gray, Director of Finance
Laura Gray, Communications Director
Jamie Labrum, GMB (deputy for Jim Clark)
Gerry Lawrie, Head of Workforce and Development
Steven Lindsay, Unite
Deirdre McIntyre, SOCAP
Angela McLeod, Programme Manager - Planned Care
Judith McLenan, Business Manager, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Sandra-Dee Masson, BAOT
Julie Murray, HR Officer
Anne Ross, Head of Performance and Quality
Linda Smith, Public Health Lead (deputy for Sandy Reid)
Joan Anderson, Partnership Support Officer
In Attendance
Caron Fraser, Staff Experience Manager –for Item 3
Item / Subject / Action /1 / Apologies
Apologies were received from Annie Ingram, Director of Workforce,
Kirsten Sawers, RCM (no deputy), Lewis Ritchie (no deputy), Fergus McKiddie, HPA (no deputy), George McLean, Interim Business Manager (and Judith Proctor), Jim Clark, GMB (Jamie Labrum deputised), Mike Scott, Staff Governance Committee, Gary Mortimer, General Manager, Facilities (and deputy Steven Glass), Ian Francis, CSP (no deputy available), Eileen Grant, GHP (no deputy available), Martin McKay, UNISON (no deputy available), June Brown, Associate Director of Nursing ~ Modernisation (no deputy); Keith Thomson, Head of Health and Safety, Terry Mackie, Staff Governance Committee, Mike Ogg, General Manager (Angela McLean deputised), Pauline Strachan, Deputy Chief Executive
2 / Minute of Last Meeting held on 18 June 2014
The minute of the last meeting held on 18 June 2014 was approved subject to adding the following into item 9a. “A paper had been circulated which included the National Staff Survey questions and as there wasn’t time to discuss it was deferred to a future meeting”.
3
* / Matters Arising
National Staff Survey
Caron Fraser explained that the three local questions had been agreed and submitted to the Scottish Government by the deadline. These would be attached to the minute.
4 / Presentation from Policies and Procedures Sub-Group
Sharon Duncan updated on the work of the Policies and Procedures Sub-Group. The group had reviewed the approach to ensure policies were drafted in Partnership as this had been lapsed slightly. A policy on the process was being developed and would be circulated to all once approved. In excess of 60% of policies had been recently reviewed. A timetable for review/write was updated regularly. Anyone who had a policy they wished to review was to contact Sharon Duncan or Philip Shipman or email
There was a request for guidance to go along with a policy when it was launched via a global email and this would be taken forward by the Policies and Procedures Sub-Group.
Sandra-Dee Masson reported that the Scottish Workforce and Governance Committee (SWAG) would be contacting Boards to establish local implementation of Partnership Information Network (PIN) Policies. It was agreed that NHS Grampian implemented all PIN Policies as a baseline. / SD
5 / Treated Fairly and Consistently, with Dignity and Respect, in an environment where Diversity is Valued
a. Grampian Weighting Update
Sharon Duncan explained that progress had slowed down because of the summer period, but that work would be ongoing as all the public services agreed to fund research undertaken on the difficulties of recruitment and retention of qualified and unqualified staff. It was recognised as a Grampian wide problem.
Work was ongoing regarding affordable accommodation.
It was noted that the high cost of living did not just affect prospective staff but those staff who lived and worked locally and therefore any benefit needed to be for all staff, not just particular groups of staff.
There was discussion on when the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) should be asked for involvement in this.
Further updates would be received at each meeting.
b. Use of Conference Room, Summerfield House
Alistair Grant explained following an announcement to cancel all bookings for the Conference Room, Summerfield House so it could be used for the Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) Review, there appeared to be some inequities of access to room bookings beginning. It was agreed to communicate to staff the situation with booking rooms including the Conference Room, Summerfield House, and that that any booking system should be equal access for all staff.
It was noted that other rooms across the organisation were being block booked for the HIS Review.
The Suttie Centre would make exceptions to their normal booking arrangements to allow staff to book rooms there during the period of HIS Review. / LG
6 / Appropriately Trained and Developed
No Items.
7 / Well Informed
a. Finance Report
Alan Gray reported that the first quarter finance report would be circulated soon.
The first quarter ended with a £1.6m overspend, which was within the expected trajectory. This overspend was mainly attributable to the Acute Sector and medical supplies. Costs for equipment and medical staffing were higher than usual.
The pay budget was lower than expected which was due to the number of vacancies of staffing especially medical, Allied Health Professionals (AHP), Acute and Aberdeen City.
GP prescribing was overspent which was also unusual. Acute Sector prescribing costs were lower.
The capital spending report included Woodside Medical Centre taking delivery and Forres to take delivery in August. A new women’s hospital and cancer care centre were planned. It would take 5 years for this to be ready and a lot of work to plan services required would take place with as many staff involvement as possible. Partnership Forums/Groups should focus on the planning of the new facilities and services they can offer.
b. Partnership Reports from Sectors
Aberdeenshire
The report made up of the top three issues from the Sector Partnership Forum which also became the team brief. One item from the report was pool cars and how these were looked after.
The GAPF agreed that there was a need for a central body to take responsibility for ensuring MOTs for pool cars were kept up to date. It was agreed that Paul Allan, Deputy General Manager, would be asked to ensure there was consistency across NHS Grampian and submit a report to GAPF and Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
It was recognised that the driver of the pool car had a responsibility to ensure the car was safe to drive and if they felt it was not safe to drive they had the right to refuse to drive that particular car and report the problems.
Aberdeenshire were planning to replicate the GAPF Partnership Event in each of their six areas.
An Health Environment Inspectorate (HEI) Inspection had been undertaken at Inverurie Hospital. The verbal report received had been very positive. Richard Carey had asked for thanks to be given to all staff at Inverurie Hospital.
Aberdeen City
Linda Smith reported that there had been a serious accident involving staff from the Aberdeen Health Village and all staff involved had been offered support to help them through this time and many had taken up the offer. A Health and Safety investigation was being undertaken into the accident.
The member of staff who had been badly injured was progressing well. The family of the injured member of staff wanted to express their thanks to NHS Grampian, they were very impressed with NHS Grampians services. Richard Carey thanked Linda for the report and said that this was part of the NHS Grampian ethos of caring, listening, improving.
There was plenty of opportunities for staff to be involved in integration within Aberdeen City and it was hoped that attendance at workshops would increase as staff see the relevance to their own roles.
Sharon Duncan explained that the possibility of a merger between Aberdeen City CHP and Woodend Partnership Groups had been mentioned at the last meeting, but this had not been discussed with the Staff Side Co-Chair of the Woodend Partnership Group. It was requested that this discussion take place in Partnership. It was also requested that Partnership Representatives were involved in future Partnership Reports to GAPF.
A request for Local Authority Representatives be asked to join GAPF had been discussed at the Staff Side meeting prior to GAPF. GAPF was for employees of NHS Grampian only and others could only attend by invitation as observers.
A report was requested to be taken to the next GAPF meeting on what progress had been made with health and safety issue regarding the car parking below the Health Village and how permit holders use as this required a resolution.
Moray
The last Partnership Forum meeting had been cancelled.
Acute
The Partnership Forum was working on a workplan for 2014/15. Each Acute area had accepted ownership of one of the five Staff Governance Standards and would share the learning with each other and be ready to submit progress for the Staff Governance Action Plan next year.
The Partnership Forum wished more information on Health and Social Care Integration and were inviting people along to assist.
A survey of the Dignified Workplace work in Division 3 Women and Children’s Services which used the HSE Standards in obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology took place during July 2013. Over the last year a lot of work had been undertaken analysing the responses and over 1700 text comments. A final report would be shared with the Partnership Group on 13 August and a workshop would take place in September.
The Acute Sector GAPF Away Day would be held on 19 November 2014.
A short life working group had been looking at out of hours cover across the Foresterhill Site and a range of ideas had emerged and would continue to be reviewed.
The management structure across the Sector continued to evolve and each of the 5 Divisions were settling in. There was an interim structure and would be reviewed in 12 months. Medical staff recruitment process had been successful.
HEI had visited Aberdeen Maternity Hospital for a 6th time in 10 months. The verbal feedback had been positive. The written report was awaited.
Richard Carey contacted Health Improvement Scotland to ensure that senior management in HIS were fully aware of the total number of visits undertaken.
There was recognition that there is still a lot of education required on Staff Governance Standards as many staff were not aware of them.
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Service
A number of service improvements and redesigns were ongoing as a large number of Mental Health Consultants had retired.
Car parking issues and car parking permits were progressing slowly and staff were being kept up to date with communications.
It was agreed to remind all the Sector General Managers that a written report was expected for each GAPF meeting.
The staff rest room was progressing, although vending machines contracts were proving expensive.
There was difficulty in getting Health and Safety Representatives released to attend European Health and Safety Week meetings. Support was needed for these Representatives to gain facilities release time to undertake their role. Funding from the Sector may be required.
It was noted that there was an overall issue regarding facilities time and all Sectors were required to fund facilities release for accredited representatives.
There were still concerns regarding Kessock Clinic in Fraserburgh and there was a review to look at the health and safety of buildings.
Facilities
The efficiency plan was complete and work on it had begun. Staff Governance Standards roadshows around all Local Partnership Groups had begun and were going well.
There were various redesigns ongoing in different sections.
Corporate Sector
Sharon Duncan was to link with Annie Ingram to take this forward. An executive lead was required to pursue setting up the Corporate Sector Partnership Forum soon. / SD
SR/ALL
SR
JA/ALL
General Managers
SD/AI
8 / Involved in Decisions
a. Feedback on Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) Activity
Richard Carey explained that although the HIS Review was of ARI, it would affect all staff working in NHS Grampian. The review was about organisational reputation and public confidence in the services provided.
Richard went over the background to why the review was taking place.
NHS Grampian subsequently invited HIS to undertake a safety and quality review. The review has a quality and safety focus in 3 specific areas (care of elderly, Accident and Emergency and general surgery).
Richard Carey expressed his hope that if HIS identify unsafe areas or areas of concern they would raise this immediately and not wait for the end of the review to report. Likewise that staff should not wait for the review process and highlight any concerns they have through NHSG processes.
The report from HIS would be in the public domain around the end of November.
Richard Carey believed that the evidence to come out of the review would show NHS Grampian to be as good, if not better, than the rest of Scotland. There were known concerns about recruiting workforce and work was ongoing to resolve this. ARI which was the scope of the review was providing good services to patients.
Concern was expressed that despite NHS Grampian requesting a Partnership Representative to sit on the HIS Review Panel, this request had not been taken up. It was unfortunate as this was believed would have been helpful to the panel.