Item 2
HRF
HRF MEETING – FRIDAY 8 APRIL 2005
RAMADA JARVIS HOTEL, GLASGOW
Present:Billy Parker – AMICUS – Co-Chair
Gordon Wenham – RCN – Joint Secretary
Jonathan Best – NHS Greater Glasgow
John Reid –NHSForthValley
Campbell Christie – NHSForthValley
John Callaghan – NHS Ayrshire & Arran
Michael Fuller – AMICUS
Patricia McNally – CSP
Elizabeth Stow – SoR
Gillian Lenaghan – RCM
John Gallacher – T&G Scotland
James T McCaffery – NHS Lothian
George Brechin – NHS Fife
Gordon Walker – NHS Lanarkshire
David Esplin – BMA
Peter Bennie – BMA
Jim Cameron – NHS Greater Glasgow
Paul Martin – SEHD – CNO
In Attendance:Jacqui Jones – SEHD (PSU)
Claire Brennan – SEHD (PSU)
Linda Toland – SEHD (PSU)
Diane Murray – SEHD (PSU)
Ryan Gunn – SEHD (PSU)
Jacqui Lundy – SEHD – Item 3
Cathy Hewit – SEHD Item 4
Graeme Chisholm – VSO Item 4
Derek Feeley –SEHD Item 7
Lynn Anderson – SEHD Item 8
1.Apologies
1.1Shirley Rogers, Lex Gold, Jim Devine, Eddie Egan, Lilian Macer, Catherine MacKay, Alistair Brown, Eileen Moir, Graham Pirie, Ann Thomson, Lindsey Ferries, Graham Pirie, Malcolm Iredale, Dick Manson, Ian Reid, Mark Butler, Dougie Lockhart & Alex Killick
1.2Before focusing on the other agenda items, the Chair informed members that Jim Devine had replaced Susan Russell as one of the Staff Side Secretaries to the HRF. The Chair then also requested that the Secretariat draft a letter to Susan Russell thanking her for all her hard work as a member of the HRF and her participation in it’s many sub-groups.
Action:Ryan Gunn
2.Minute of Last Meeting
2.1George Brechin to be added to the list of attendees. That aside the minute of the last meeting held on 11 February was passed as an accurate record.
3.Matters Arising
3.1Diane Murray referred members to the letter issued on 6 April by Alex Killick further reminding Boards of the their obligation to employ staff under ‘Whitley’ terms and conditions.
3.2Members still had concerns over the clarity of the wording in the letter, especially around Agenda for Change and retaining protection. As a consequence of this, Diane agreed to go back to Solicitors for further clarification and will report back at the next meeting.
Action:Diane Murray
3.3Claire Brennan asked members for their views on the structure and format of the revised mapping exercise and also whether members details should be included in the draft.
3.4Members were content with the revised map, whilst at the same time conceding that the map will need continual updating.
3.5Jacqui Lundy from the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) was present at the meeting to talk members through the revised proposals aimed at the recruitment and retention of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) following which she hoped to seek the endorsement of the HRF to present the paper to the Minister for Health and Community Care.
3.6A number of issues were raised but on the whole members conceded that the revised proposal were significantly different from the earlier draft and so were content to endorse the paper.
4.VSO Career Breaks
4.1Cathy Hewit from the SEHD and Graeme Chisholm from the VSO presented members with a short verbal update both on the historical background behind the VSO and the future proposals to identify future volunteers to take up a 2 year post developing partnership links between the SEHD, NHSScotland and the VSO. The scheme was aimed at professionals in areas such as AHPs’ etc but others would of course be considered Cathy expanded further upon this proposal listing details such as meeting the cost of pension contributions during the posting in order to support the scheme. Cathy then reported that she was seeking the endorsement of the HRF in order to then pass the proposals to the First Minister who would then formally announce the scheme in May 2005.
4.2There were a number of comments from members, questioning various aspects of the scheme such as queries around the selection process and concerns over losing staff from areas where cover was already thin on the ground and handling issues but on the whole members were happy to endorse the scheme.
5.Healthcare Scientists
5.1Professor Peter Sharp from NHS Grampian and Chair of the Scottish Forum for Healthcare Science was invited to deliver a presentation to members on the background and role of Healthcare Scientists in NHSScotland. The presentation raised awareness of the many areas of diagnosis and treatment that Healthcare Scientist are involved in before moving on to look at career pathways, links with SEHD, workforce development and the challenges faced by this group such as future recruitment.
5.2The presentation was well received by members who agreed that it was a useful insight into the role and function of this particular group of professionals. Members also commented on the importance of linking this issue to the NWS and other issues such as funding and sense that the provision was perhaps moving to a more regional service.
6.Inspection of Child Protection
6.1The Chair formally invited Kirstie MacLean and Fiona McManus from the Services for Childs Unit to make a brief presentation to members detailing the background and work of the unit. The presentation dwelled for a short time on the historical background behind the formation of the team before moving on to look at it’s remit – the inspection of Child Protection Services, aims – to discover how well needs were being met, the pilot inspections and the methodology behind the inspections. Finally, before opening the session up to members, Kirstie also reported that there was a stumbling block with regards to the inspection team accessing health records which they deemed as being vital to the completion of the inspection process.
6.2The main focus of members comments rested upon the lack of staff side involvement/representation firstly during the pilot sessions and following on from that, looking at the actual inspection process and also the affect that the inspections might have on those members of staff involved in the process. Members also added that there were huge educational, presentational and communication issues around this initiative that needed to be addressed. There were also concerns over patient confidentiality and consent when seeking access to information during the inspection process. As a result of these concerns, members agreed that the issue must come back to the HRF in the future.
6.3Before moving to the next item, Paul Martin, Chief Nursing Officer – CNO, who was attending his first meeting of the HRF deputising for Mark Butler, added that there was an SE initiative being set-up to address this issue and funding was being made available to create and support consultant nurses posts in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was hoped that this would help create links between various departments such as Social Work etc.
7.National Planning Framework
7.1Derek Feeley, Head of the National Planning Team, was invited to update members on the workforce themes and implications that were emerging from the draft report being put together for the Minister. During the update, Derek reported that there were 6 themes emerging from the report. These are listed below:
- New and extended roles
- Education
- Workforce numbers and balance
- Deployment of the workforce – local care etc
- Performance Management
- Leadership
In summarising these issues, Derek added that the report will not have all the answers to the questions being posed though there was a suggestion that they might be added to the HRF agenda. However, Derek was keen to add that members also needed to be realistic about what the report will achieve.
7.2The main comments from members focused on partnership and the development of leadership and how much of an impact these issues will have in the report. Members also focused on education and the need to perhaps ring-fence funds in order to secure this direction of travel.
8.Diversity Update
8.1Lynn Anderson, Head of the Scottish Executive Equality & Diversity Team addressed members on the information contained within the paper that had been previously circulated. The discussion focused on the branches work to date and their planned schedule for the next financial year. Finally, Lynn asked members for their feedback on the direction of travel and support for the approach.
8.2Aside from confusion over process with regards to the Equalities Forum and Diversity Task Force, members were content to endorse this approach.
9.HRF Workplan 2004/05
9.1Before providing members with a verbal progress report on the various strands of the HRF work-plan for 2004/05, Jacqui Jones focused on the 2005/06 work-plan highlighting the need for all members to pull together and contribute in order to produce a work-plan that is both realistic and achievable. In addition, there was still some uncertainty over the links and feedback process with the HRF and NWC and this needed to be addressed.
9.2During a short open session, members agreed with the sentiment behind greater accountability and links between the NWC, HRF and SPF. Queries were also raised over individual aspects on the 04/05 work-plan such as the membership of the Executive Pay Review Group and although not directly associated with this item, the HDL on the STUC Staff Protocol with regards to PFI/PPP (HDL(2003) 50), were concern expressed at it’s content and lack of partnership working before the HDL was issued, it was agreed that this matter would be raised with the Minister, was also discussed. In closing, it was agreed that the membership of the Executive Pay Group would be circulated to members and that HDL(2003)50 would be added as an item for discussion at the next full meeting of the HRF.
Action:Ryan Gunn
Items 10 to 15 – all passed without comment.
The date of the next full meeting is Friday 10 June at the Scottish Health Service Centre, Edinburgh
Ryan Gunn
Partnership Support Unit
12 April 2004
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