Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any Substitute Members, in accordance with paragraph 12.7 of the Harrow Partnership Governance Handbook.

The Board welcomed Carole Newton, London Fire Brigade, as a guest.  No apologies for absence had been received.

(if any).

AGREED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 8 – Delivering the Harrow Vision: Right Care, Right Place, Right Time

Howard Bluston declared a personal interest in that he was Vice Chair of the patients’ group at St Mark’s Hospital.  He would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

Councillor Bill Stephenson declared a personal interest in that he was a patient at St Mark’s Hospital.  He would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

Agenda Item 6 – Partnership Budgets

Howard Bluston declared a personal interest in that he was a Director of Harrow in Business.  He would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

That the minutes of the Board Meeting held on 11 October 2011, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

AGREED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2011 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Harrow Council.

The Chairman referred to an article that had appeared in the Harrow Observer that day stating that two fire stations and an ambulance centre in Harrow were to be co-located.  This had been an idea and a suggestion as to how public bodies could co-locate services to save money and had been included in the report in error.  An apology had been given to the fire brigade.

The Board received a report on community budgets which included the expressions of interest document submitted to the Government for participation in pilots for Neighbourhood Budgets.  Whilst the Harrow ‘bid’ was not short listed, Harrow Chief Executives would be considering how much of the programme could be delivered without pilot status.

An officer sought the views of Board Members on the expression of interest before the proposals were progressed without the benefit of Community Budget pilot status.

During the discussion on this item, Members of the Board made a number of comments which included:

·                     partners may want more time to consider the projects and to discuss the matter at the next meeting;

·                     the learning and development network might offer the Board an opportunity to benefit from the experiences of the chosen pilots;

·                     participation in the pilot did not seem to offer any financial benefit.

AGREED: That report and comments made be noted.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Harrow Council.

The Board received a report which proposed that £60,000 of capital funding reserved for a community premises proposal be allocated to the Consortium of Anti-Racist, Refugee and Minority Ethnic Associations (CARRAMEA) to support their revised proposal to transfer management of the community premises at Northolt Road to the Voluntary and Community Sector.

An officer advised that the organisation had been established for some time and that the resources would be released in two or three tranches.  He added that the financial probity of the organisation was not in question and that its management Board was drawn from existing premises users.

Concern was expressed following the recent issues with Harrow Association of Voluntary Service and Harrow Police and Community Consultative Group that there should be monitoring of the funds distributed.

AGREED: That the allocation of capital funds to CARRAMEA in the sum of £60,000 be approved and monitored, with a report submitted to the next meeting of the Board.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Harrow Council.

The Board received a report which detailed the unallocated Partnership Budget of which there was £73,903 revenue and £94,139 capital (not including the £60,000 allocated to CARRAMEA).

An officer outlined the proposed actions detailed in the report.  In response to questions raised, an officer advised that the £85,000 allocated to the Top Families project had not all been spent and that a scope for the entire project had been identified.  Fifteen partner agencies had identified a list of the top 35 families for a pilot.

During the discussion on this item, Members of the Board commented that the Top Families project was exciting and put Harrow at the forefront of thinking in identifying needy families and that the work should be supported.  In addition, this project aimed to consider the family in a holistic way rather than as a separate entity.

AGREED: That the recommended allocations, as set out in report, be agreed.

Report of the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust.

In the absence of a representative of the North West London Hospital Trust it was

AGREED: That an updated report be considered at the next meeting of the Board.

Presentation by NHS Harrow.

The Board received a presentation from the Clinical Commissioning Group on the current thinking for the future of health care in Harrow.  A stakeholder event had been held on 9 November 2011 which had brought together over 100 people to hear presentations from the Group followed by a series of exercises.  The event had included patients, GPs, secondary and community clinicians, commissioners and other key stakeholders from across the borough.

The Board were referred to page 4 of the tabled presentation which set out the financial challenge facing Harrow.  The workshop had considered how patient care could be aligned with social care underpinning each of the four areas of care; patient community, primary care, community care and acute care.  The workshop had also considered patient pathways in the future by using real patient examples.  This work had been helpful, had reinforced the direction of travel for CCGs and had enabled identification of where early intervention should occur.

During the discussion on this item, Members of the Board raised a number of issues which were responded to as follows:

·                     in terms of the QIPP, there were two ways in which the budget was being considered; 50% efficiency savings and 50% related to shape change;

·                     in terms of the Primary Care Trust and NHS Harrow discussing the proposals with the Board, from April 2012 the CCGs would be in shadow formation behind NHS Harrow and would be able to address the Board;

·                     the areas chosen for discussion at the workshop were spend and pathways.  Mental Health was an area where service re-design was difficult.  Complaints had not been the focus but participants did challenge.  Each table had a patient representative;

·                     patient participants had been selected via the 36 GP peer groups in order to capture the primary care environment but it was acknowledged that secondary care groups should be invited to any future workshops.

The Board welcomed the opportunity to develop improving relationships with the NHS and on being kept informed of progress.

AGREED: That the presentation be noted.

Verbal Update of the Assistant Chief Executive, Harrow Council.

This item was withdrawn.

The next Board Meeting is scheduled for 29 March 2012.

AGREED:  To note that the date of the next meeting of the Board would be held on 29 March 2012.