Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee.

The report details the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee in respect to the Access to Health Services and the proposed recommendations.

The Cabinet is recommended to consider the report and consider how it might respond to the report’s findings and recommendations.

Officer contact: Ben Fryer at ben.fryer@stockport.gov.uk

Councillor Angie Clark presented the final report of the Scrutiny Review into Access to Health Services (copies of which had been circulated) and to answer questions from the Cabinet.

The Leader of the Council welcomed the timeliness of the review.

RESOLVED - (1) That the Director of Public Health be requested to prepare a response to the “Access to Health Services” Scrutiny Review and the recommendations contained therein for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting.

(2) That the gratitude of the Cabinet be recorded for the excellent work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel ‘Access to Health Services’ and others involved in the Review.

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The report details the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee in respect to the Access to Health Services and the proposed recommendations.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and approve the recommendations.

Officer contact: Ben Fryer, ben.fryer@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Public Health submitted the draft final report on behalf of the Scrutiny Review Panel of the Scrutiny Committee’s Review of Access to Health Services (copies of which had been circulated) which detailed the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee in respect to the Access to Health Services, findings and the proposed recommendations. The Scrutiny Committee was invited to comment on and make amendments to the report prior to its submission to the Cabinet on 28 June 2022.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Noted the inconsistencies between general practices as it was reported that a local practice operates efficient services, triaging and offer telephone call backs.

·         In response, Members were advised that the Review Panel had taken a statistical analysis during the course of the Review and explored the way in which patients accessed services in different practices. It was reported that the findings showed that there was a variety of different models in place in individual general practices in Stockport, with some more reliant on online booking and others reliant on triaging and telephone bookings. It was noted that general practices across Stockport were doing their best to be available for their patients in a way that works for their patients, however had to manage within the constrained resources that they had available. The recommendations of the draft final report were framed to try and ensure that all practices were performing at consistently a high standard in terms of patient access.

·         Welcomed the inclusion of the recommendation that the council’s estates team should work proactively with GP surgeries and other local NHS providers to identify any property that can be used on a long term, short term, or sessional basis for clinical or non-clinical services to overcome the challenges posed to the NHS by its current estate in Stockport as a piece of work that could be done more intensively with health care providers.

·         Welcomed the consideration of a future report outlining the response to the recommendations detailed in the Review report.

·         That it was important for residents to understand the background relating to the current situation in relation to access to health services which was not purely a result of Covid given the numerous cutbacks and record underfunding in relation to the NHS services.

·         That other reports concur with the findings of the Review which included a high proportion of respondents felt that access to health services is difficult or very difficult in relation to patient experience and violence against staff was increasing.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft ‘Scrutiny Review Panel: Access to Health Services Final Report’ be approved and adopted.

(2) That the thanks of the Scrutiny Committee be extended to all those who took part in the Scrutiny Review.