Present in Part
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Minutes from the Eleventh Meeting of the Public Health Wales BoardDate of meeting: 11 April 2011
Time of meeting: 9.30am – 3.30pm
Venue for meeting: Temple of Peace and Health, Cardiff
Version: 1
Present:
Professor Sir Mansel Aylward CB / Chair, Public Health WalesDr Carl Clowes / Non Executive Director
Mr Keith Cox / Board Secretary
Mr Mark Dickinson / Executive Director of Planning and Performance
Dr Jo Farrar / Non Executive Director
Professor Hilary Fielder / Executive Director of Public Health Services
Mr Huw George / Executive Director of Finance
Ms Eleanor Higgins / Executive Administrative Manager (Secretariat)
Mr Bob Hudson / Chief Executive, Public Health Wales
Mr Nathan Jones / Planning and Performance Manager (Secretariat)
Mr Chris Lines / Director of Communications
Professor Stephen Palmer / Public Health Wales
Mr John Spence / Non Executive Director
Professor Simon Smail CBE / Non Executive Director
Mrs Ruth Davies / Director of Workforce and OD
Professor Gareth Williams / Non Executive Director
Present in part:
Ms Tracy Veale / Wales Audit OfficeMr Andrew Strong / Wales Audit Office
1. / Welcome & Apologies for Absence
The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the eleventh meeting of the Public Health Wales Board.
The Chair formerly welcomed Ruth Davies to her first Board meeting. Ruth officially started in her post as Director of Workforce and Organisational Development on 4 April 2011.
Mrs Ruth Davies introduced herself to the Board and gave a brief overview of her background.
2. / Declarations of Interest
Professor Smail declared an interest in agenda item 9 d) as his wife is a member of Velindre Charitable Funds Committee.
3. / Minutes from Public Health Wales Board meeting held on 14 February 2011
a) Approval of Minutes
The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting.
b) Actions Arising
The Board Secretary provided the Board with an update on each of the action points. The following points were raised by the Board:
Action PHW 9.8 – It was confirmed an informal Board session would be arranged for planning and performance. This would allow the Director of Planning and Performance to present underpinning strategies for each of Public Health Wales’ strategic objectives.
Action PHW 9.11 – It was suggested that the proposed introduction of folic acid in bread flour to reduce neural tube defects could be picked up by the pathfinder project.
Action PHW 10.4 – the Chair confirmed that an advance copy of the Safeguarding Children Review can be circulated to members of the Board. The recommendations are being taken forward by the Welsh Assembly Government and Public Health Wales can begin their internal review of the Safeguarding Children Service, which was a recommendation in the report.
Action: Circulate an advance copy of the Safeguarding Children Review.
Action PHW 10.5 – The Chair confirmed that the Minister had accepted the Occupational Health Task and Finish Group report and recommendations but did not want the report published until more work had been completed. The Chair agreed to circulate an advance copy of the report to the Board.
Action: Circulate an advance copy of the Occupational Health Task and Finish Group report.
Action PHW 10.8 – the Director of Public Health Services would be attending an away day with the Health Protection Agency Board where she would raise the issues relevant to Wales. The Chair commended recent cartoons which were part of the current awareness bulletins on the English reform. The Chief Executive also mentioned a recent article in the Health Service Journal which would be of interest to Board members.
Action: Add non Executive Directors to the distribution list for the current awareness bulletins on the English reform and circulate recent cartoons.
Action: Circulate recent article in the Health Service Journal.
Action PHW 10.15 – the Board requested to see a copy of the National Workforce Development Plan.
Action: Circulate a copy of the National Workforce Development Plan.
Dr Clowes queried whether the evacuation plans which had been enforced during exercise Titan were being reviewed following the recent nuclear disaster in Japan. The Director of Public Health Services confirmed that Exercise Titan had focused on a minor event and there were wider evacuation plans in place for serious events. Since the recent events in Japan the UK nuclear industry has been re-looking at its emergency plans. There is also a Health Impact Assessment underway.
4. / Chair Update
The Chair provided the Board with a written update (Paper 11.2), which included information on a number of strategic developments and issues. These included:
- Review of Health Improvement Programmes
- Vacant Non Executive Director
- Meeting with David Sissling
- The Bevan Commission
- Children in Wales
- Public Health Congress
- Development of Film Unit
The Chair agreed to circulate a copy of the final Bevan Commission report once it was complete.
Action: Circulate copy of final Bevan Commission report once complete.
The Chair thanked John Spence for the duties he undertook as Vice Chair in the Chair’s absence.
5. / Chief Executive Update
The Chief Executive provided the Board with a written update (Paper 11.3), which included information on a number of strategic developments and issues. The Chief Executive also provided some further update on some of the items. These included:
- Realignment of public health delivery arrangements;
The Board requested some further briefing on the length and breadth of the services which would become part of Public Health Wales. The Chief Executive confirmed he would be setting up a project team and would share that information with Board members when it was available.
Action: Provide Board members with more information on the services which are being realigned with Public Health Wales when available.
- Developing relationships with key stakeholders;
Dr Farrar brought the Board’s attention to the joint appointment which has recently been made with ABM Health Board, Bridgend Council and Public Health Wales.
Action: Circulate report from workshop with Chief Medical Officer and senior Welsh Assembly Government officials, the Directors of Public Health and the Public Health Wales Executive Team, when available.
- Public health capacity building;
- Board appointments;
- Screening division funding;
- Extension of programme funding;
- NHS Wales Five Year Plan; and
- Reducing Inequalities in Health Strategic Action Plan for Wales
6. / Wales Audit Office
Ms Tracy Veale and Mr Andrew Strong presented the Annual Audit Report (11.4) and Structured Assessment Report (11.5). Dr Farrar confirmed the Audit Committee had considered both reports and were content with both documents. Both the Wales Audit Office and the Board commended and congratulated the staff in Public Health Wales who had assisted in the preparation of the reports.
The Board requested the Structured Assessment Report refer to Public Health Audit rather than Clinical Audit as this terminology is not appropriate for the work Public Health Wales is engaged in.
7. / Public Health Wales Institute
Professor Stephen Palmer presented paper 11.6 to the Board which provided an update on progress in the development of the “Public Health Institute” function, notably in respect of the maternal and child health pathfinder and to seek the Board’s approval of the recommendations.
The Board welcomed the paper and accepted the recommendations.
8. / Executive Director of Public Health Services Report
a) Bowel Screening
The Executive Director of Public Health Services presented the Bowel Screening Wales First Round Interim Report (paper 11.7) to the Board.
The Board discussed the uptake rate and the factors which may affect this rate. The Director of Communications assured the Board that Public Health Wales are always looking to review and improve on public facing informaiton.
b) CJD
The Executive Director of Public Health Services briefed the Board on Public Health Wales’ involvement in an incident where 38 people have been informed they may be at risk of CJD.
9. / Executive Director of Finance Report
a) 2011/12 Financial Plan
The Executive Director of Finance presented the 2011/12 Financial Strategy (paper 11.8). The Chair noted an error on page 2 – The funding gap should read £2.846 million and not £3.846 million.
Dr Farrar requested the paper be more explicit about how Public Health Wales is taking forward the recommendations received from the Wales Audit Office.
b) Year End Financial Position
The Executive Director of Finance confirmed the organisation was on course to break even at the end of the financial year. A final report was being produced for the Welsh Assembly Government which would be circulated to the Board.
Action: Circulate end of financial year report to Board.
c) Extension of Voluntary Early Release Scheme
The Board considered paper 11.9 and agreed to extend the Voluntary Early Release Scheme for a further year and agreed to implement any changes to the Scheme which are agreed nationally by the Directors of Workforce and Organisational Development.
d) Charitable Funds Committee (11.10)
The Board considered paper 11.10 and confirmed it was content that the Chief Executive and Director of Finance continue to pursue a joint arrangement with Velindre.
10. / Executive Director of Planning and Performance Report
a) 2011/12 Annual Quality Framework Response
The Executive Director of Planning and Performance presented Public Health Wales’ response to the 2011/12 Annual Quality Framework (paper 11.11). The Board congratulated and thanked the Director for Planning and Performance for pulling together such a comprehensive document.
The Board agreed the large numbers of Programme Level Agreements should be looked at with the aim of reducing them into a clearer programmatic approach. The Board agreed to spend time at the next informal board meeting to analyse and synthesise this approach.
The Board approved the response.
Action: Include discussion around a more programmatic approach to Programme Level Agreements at next informal Board.
11 / Board Secretary Report
a) Developing an Annual Plan of Board Business for 2011/12
The Board Secretary presented a paper which outlined the process for developing an annual plan of Board business for 2011/12 and which made proposals on Board meeting arrangements (paper 11.12).
All of the Non Executive Board members had expressed a wish to be more engaged in strategic thinking and be more involved with engaging staff. Dr Farrar asked that this be brought to the front of the paper.
The Board agreed the proposals set out in the paper. However, it asked that the frequency of meetings be closely monitored as there may be a need for them to be held more often.
b) Delegation of Authority to Approve Accounts
The Board agreed to delegate the authority to the Audit committee to approve the 2010/11 Annual Report and Accounts (paper 11.13).
c) Governance and Accountability Module
The Board was presented with a paper on the Governance and Accountability Module (paper 11.14). The paper set out the Board members’ responsibilities in relation to undertaking a self assessment, collectively as a Board, against the Governance and Accountability Module. The paper set out the work required by Board members and time scales for the completion of the self assessment.
The Board raised concern over the amount of duplication of inspection particularly in light of the recent Structural Assessment Review by the Wales Audit Office, which seemed to cover similar ground. It agreed to reiterate this concern when sending in its response to the Module.
d) Board Committee Review
The Board was presented with paper 11.15 which reviewed each of the Board Committees. It was agreed that the membership of the Committees would be reviewed once the additional Non Executive Director had been appointed.
The Chief Executive asked that the Remuneration and Terms of Service Terms of Reference be amended to include wider HR issues which cannot be discussed in a public forum.
e) Implementation of Shared Services Arrangements
The Board ratified the decision made outside of a formal Board meeting to agree to implement the Ministerial Directions on the new NHS Wales Shared Services arrangements which were introduced with effect from 1 April 2011 (Paper 11.16).
It was agreed to bring back the Memorandum of Understanding to the Board, once it had been approved.
12. / Corporate Communications Strategy
The Director of Communications presented the Corporate Communications Strategy (paper 11.17) to the Board.
The Chair asked for the definition of “Communication” to be expanded.
The Board requested access to the Public Health Wales Intranet. It was agreed the best way to do this was to issue each Board member with a Public Health Wales laptop and access to the secure network.
Action: Provide Non Executive Board members with Public Health Wales laptops and secure access to the network.
The Chief Executive requested the Senior Management Forum be included within the Internal Communications Plan.
13. / Welsh Language Annual Monitoring Report
The Board received and noted the Welsh Language Annual Monitoring Report (paper 11.18).
14. / Workforce and Organisational Development Report
a) Workforce Report
The Director of Workforce and Organisational Development presented the latest report (paper 11.19). The Board requested to see the trends over two years.
b) NHS Wales Disciplinary Policy (paper 11.20)
c) NHS Wales Capability Policy (paper 11.21)
d) NHS Wales Secondment Policy (paper 11.22)
The Board agreed to adopt the above policies.
15. / Committee Meeting Update
a) Audit – Dr Jo Farrar
Dr Jo Farrar provided an update to the Board on the last Audit Committee meeting, which took place on 7 March 2011.
The Committee received the Annual Audit Plan and the Structured Assessment which the Wales Audit Office had presented at item 6.
It was informed of the arrangements for shared services in the NHS in Wales and was supportive of this.
The Committee was informed that Public Health Wales had received the lowest rating score for the Qualitative Assessment Final Report. The Director of Finance had challenged this score. The Committee agreed to continue to monitor this.
It received the draft Statement of Internal Control and agreed it should consider:
- Public Health Wales’ reliance on Velindre’s finance systems;
- Updating the Information Governance Audits which were two years old;
- Linking in with the sickness absence work being carried out by Velindre.
16. / Non Executive Director Reports
a) Dr Carl Clowes
Dr Carl Clowes provided an update on the following items:
- Clinical Excellence Awards
- Teenage pregnancy conference
- Meeting with CMO and David Francis to discuss MoU between Cardiff and Vale Health Board and the Ministry of Health Lesotho
Dr Clowes also reminded the Board he meets regularly with the Director for Public Health in Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board and that similar meetings should be built into the Board Development programme.
b) Professor Simon Smail
Professor Smail provided an update on the following items:
- Child suicide meeting
- New Public Health in England Meeting
Mr Spence provided an update on the following items:
- Meeting with the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health
- Seminar on food allergens
Professor Williams provided an update on his recent attendance at a Fabian Society Event.
17. / Any Other Business
There was no other business
Date: 18/05/11 / Version: 1 / Page: 1 of 14
Public Health Wales / Minutes from the eleventh Meeting of the Public Health Wales Board
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