Agenda item

8.1

The Committee received a report of James Henderson, Director of Policy, Performance and Communications, on the present position with regard to the Joint Committee, specifically in relation to the new Congenital Heart Disease Review.  The report indicated that following the establishment of the Committee in March 2011, to consider and respond to the proposals arising from the Safe and Sustainable Review of Children’s Congenital Cardiac Services in England, a number of concerns had been raised about the proposals, and the Secretary of State for Health had consequently accepted in full, the findings and recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, and called a halt to the Safe and Sustainable Review process.  NHS England had subsequently submitted proposals for undertaking a new review into the whole lifetime pathway of care for people with congenital heart disease.  In the meantime, the Committee had continued to meet to maintain the momentum of its previous work and at its meeting held in December 2013, there was broad support to continue its work, and a revised Terms of Reference for the Committee, attached at Appendix 2 to the report now submitted, had been agreed.

8.2

On the basis that the Joint Committee would make recommendations to NHS England and other interested parties, which could include the Secretary of State for Health, the Committee felt it advisable that the 15 constituent authorities should reconfirm their commitment to the Committee, and agree the revised Terms of Reference.

8.3

The Policy and Improvement Officer, Diane Owens, referred to the addendum to the report, which had been circulated to Members of the Committee prior to the meeting, and which provided additional detail, following legal advice, in terms of the purpose of the report, together with a revised set of recommendations.

8.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       notes the contents of the report now submitted, together with the addendum to the report, circulated prior to the meeting; and

(b)       recommends to Council that it:-

(i)            reconfirms its commitment to the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Yorkshire and the Humber) in relation the new Congenital Heart Disease Review;

(ii)          approves the Terms of Reference of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the new Congenital Heart Disease Review as set out in Appendix 2 to the report now submitted;

(iii)         requests this Committee to nominate a Member to sit on the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the new Congenital Heart Disease Review and, upon nomination, agrees to appoint that Member to the Joint Scrutiny Committee in accordance with paragraph 7.3 of the Protocol for Yorkshire and the Humber Councils Joint Health Scrutiny Committees, as incorporated in Sheffield City Council’s Constitution;

(iv)         delegates the functions, set out in Appendix 1 to the report now submitted, that shall be exercisable by the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, subject to the terms and conditions detailed in the Appendix; and

(v)          approves amendments to the Protocol for Yorkshire and the Humber Councils Joint Health Scrutiny Committees so that the functions referred to in (b)(iv) above are incorporated.

(NOTE: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution and the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the Chair decided that the above item be considered as a matter of urgency as it would need to be considered by Full Council, at its next meeting, in July 2014, although it had not been possible to give five clear days’ notice that the matter was to be considered.)