Programme news

 Healthy Accountability Forum: key challenges facing the NHS - where does this leave Scrutiny? 

A bleak financial outlook for the NHS has been widely forecast: the question for scrutiny is how to maintain maximum influence on difficult decisions, on behalf of local communities.  The Healthy Accountability Forum on March 19th will discuss this with Elizabeth Wade, author of the NHS Confederation paper ‘Commissioning in a Cold Climate’, Vince Roose, NHS involvement lead, and LGA senior policy consultant Alyson Morley.

Membership of the forum is one officer and one member nominated by each health region through the health scrutiny network, but we do have a few additional spaces for members.  If you would be interested in attending please contact  avril.davies@cfps.org.uk and we will ensure your region knows of your interest. 

Last year we used the quarterly forums to broaden the horizons of health scrutiny to take on board healthy communities, public involvement, and community cohesion issues. These prepared the ground for our current separate health inequalities scrutiny programme and the growing interest and understanding of scrutiny committees in their role in reducing health inequalities. The last forum facilitated a very useful dialogue with the Care Quality Commission and Quality Accounts.
 
This coming year with financial and organisational challenges expected ahead, we are going to explore a constructive role for health scrutiny in ensuring the aims and objectives set out for the health service are achieved for their local populations within the expected financial constraints, and the emerging concept of total place. Vince Roose Head of Public Engagement at the Department of Health has agreed to kick off the day, which runs from 11 till 3 to allow people from the regions to get to London in a civilised way and save the cost of overnight accommodation.  After a short scene setting and discussion-provoking presentation, participants divide in to groups to distil the issues for subsequent debate, before the full forum discussion.
 
The forum presents a good, neatly packaged opportunity for Members and Officers involved in health scrutiny to meet face to face with policy makers. It represents the best in what is going on in the Regions; debates and influences current issues and policies affecting health scrutiny; shares knowledge and information to begin to address the future challenges to overview and scrutiny.

Tackling Health Inequalities - Developing the role of Overview and Scrutiny
 
This programme, funded by the Healthy Communities Team at the IDeA, will assess "where we are now" in scrutinising health inequalities; develop a resource kit for scrutiny of health inequalities; identify and work with four areas across the Country to scrutinise health inequalities and share their learning; and publish guidance about the contribution that Overview and Scrutiny Committees can make to tackling health inequalities. Bidding to become one of the four Scrutiny Development Areas is open until 15th December 2009.  Click here if you would like more information.

 Expert Advisory Team

All the bids for 10 days free Advisor support per region have now been received. The offer is for 10 days free expert advisory support in each of the 10 strategic health authority areas. Advisor placements are supporting OSCs working together on common issues across whole regions or in sub-regions. More than one project can be supported per region or sub-region within the maximum total free support of 10 days.  Projects currently progressing are

• Responding to regional/sub-regional NHS commissioning arrangements
• Scrutinising specialist commissioning
• Commissioning and health inequalities
• Using the JSNA
• Personalisation in social care
• Integration of health and social care, with reference to dementia care
• ‘Mainstreaming’ health issues into the work of ‘non-health’ OSCs
• Developing approaches to joint working
• Suicide prevalence and prevention
• Developing work with NHS Non-Executive Directors
• Developing regional networks

In addition individual OSCs and LINks are able to get support from the Team on a consultancy basis; there will be a cost for advisor time and travel.  There is no deadline for submitting individual projects (but it is advised that you book at least 4 weeks in advance). Placements delivered on a consultancy basis can be tailored to suit individual needs. Download our advisors and associates prospectus or contact laura.freeborn@cfps.org.uk for further information.
 

Innovative scrutiny  

Kirklees Council proposed study ‘Independence without Isolation’ was unanimously acclaimed by the reviewing panel as an exemplary bid fulfilling all the criteria set out in this year’s guidance for an Innovative Scrutiny Review, demonstrating how scrutiny can contribute to community cohesion.  The review, which is looking at the transition to independent living for people with learning disabilities, began in October 2009 and the final report will be published in early 2010.

CfPS National Networking Events

 Over 150 delegates attended the networking events held around the country in October and November.  There was a varied programme including a three part session on using scrutiny to help tackle health inequalities; local approaches to scrutinising commissioning; and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who attended all four events to begin a dialogue with OSCs about working together.  Lucy Hamer, Involvement Manager at the Care Quality Commission reflects on CQC's new approach to working with OSCs and the issues raised by delegates at the events here and directly answers some of the questions raised with her.

The final session, which varied from event to event, showcased examples of how OSCs might approach scrutinising commissioning in ways that make this substantial topic more manageable. CfPS Advisor Graham Heany presented his thoughts on different angles OSCs might take and how these could add value. Anne Mitchell from Leicestershire County Council and Sue Lock of NHS Leicester gave an interesting dual perspective on a review of practice based commissioning, and Cllr Deirdre Alden and Elizabeth Rattlidge of Birmingham City Council presented a review which, by focusing on the needs of a section of the community (new migrants), managed to cover most aspects of the commissioning cycle. All three of these presentations, plus others from the day and the associated handouts can be downloaded below:

• Closing the gap on health inequalities - how can scrutiny make a difference?
• JSNA Diagram
• JSNA Handout
• Calderdale Prioritisation Handout
• Working together: CQC and Overview and Scrutiny Committees
• Practice Based Commissioning Scrutiny Review, Leicestershire 2008
• Approaches to Scrutinising Commissioning
• Scrutinising the health needs of newly migrant communities, Birmingham City Council
 

 New publications available now 
• Dignity in Care
• Safeguarding Children
• End of Life Care
• Adult Social Care transformation

Publications in Progress
• Commissioning
• Dermatology 
 

Newsletter Our newsletter continues monthly. We welcome contributions from the health scrutiny community so please send your thoughts, ideas and articles to: avril.davies@cfps.org.uk