A report by the Dementia Scrutiny Panel which was presented to the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 27 March 2011 provided background information regarding the Final report of the Dementia Scrutiny Review.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet:

(1)  welcomes the report of the Dementia Scrutiny Review and thanks all those who have contributed to it;

(2)  asks the Interim Director of Adult Social Care, in partnership with NHS Wirral, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to facilitate the integration of services for people with dementia and similar conditions to produce a single pathway of support; and

(3)  invites the Health & Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider whether they would undertake a scrutiny review of the provision of Local Authority services for people with dementia, and what further steps could be taken to enhance outcomes through early intervention and support.

Councillor Ann Bridson introduced the final report of the Dementia Scrutiny Review Panel, ‘The Care of People with Dementia in an Acute Hospital Setting’. The Health and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed the scope of the review at its meeting on 22 June 2009 (minute 13 refers)

The panel, consisting of Councillors Ann Bridson (Chair), Sheila Clarke, Denise Roberts and former Councillor Chris Teggin, supported by Alan Veitch, Scrutiny Support officer, had focussed on:

• Management of patients with dementia in an acute hospital setting.
• Impact of patients with dementia on other patients during a stay in hospital.
• Are there alternative approaches which allow more patients with dementia to be cared for outside an acute hospital setting?
• Is it possible to keep more people with dementia in their own home for as long as possible?

Details were given of the variety of methods used to gather evidence, including, meetings / visits with officers; meetings with carers of people with dementia; written evidence from individuals and written documentation / reports, both from a national and local perspective.

The report contained 14 recommendations and was submitted for the Committee’s consideration.

Len Richards, Chief Executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, responding to the review, commented that he was in discussion with the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust regarding a joint approach and he would be happy to come back to the Committee in the next few months with a formal response to the review’s recommendations.

Resolved –

(1) That the contents and recommendations of the Dementia Scrutiny Review be supported.

(2) That the Dementia Scrutiny Report be presented to the next appropriate cabinet meeting.

(3) That further reports be presented to the Health & Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Committee to update members regarding the outcomes of the recommendations.

(4) That the Review Panel be thanked for all their work on the review.