Report of the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance.

A report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance outlined the process currently being undertaken to develop a Joint Health Scrutiny Protocol/Arrangements covering the Cheshire and Merseyside area pursuant to The Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013 (”Regulations”). 

A copy of the draft protocol was attached to the report at Appendix 1 for Members’ information.  The Protocol responded to a requirement set out in Regulations and provided a vehicle for establishing Joint Health Scrutiny Committees with the other authorities in the Cheshire and Merseyside area as the need arose.

The requisite changes required to the Council’s Constitution were attached to the report at Appendix 2 for Members’ information.

Additional clarifications in respect of the Protocol for the establishment of joint health scrutiny arrangements for Cheshire and Merseyside were attached to the report at Appendix 3 for Members’ information.

It was reported that since the publication of the committee papers, the protocol had been subject to a final amendment, prior to approval by all nine Cheshire and Merseyside authorities as follows:

A Joint Committee would be composed of Councillors from each of the participating authorities within Cheshire and Merseyside in the following ways:

·  where four or more local authorities deem the proposed change to be substantial, each authority will nominate two elected Members

·  where three or less local authorities deem the proposed change to be substantial, then each participating authority will nominate three elected Members.

(Note: In making their nominations, each participating authority would be asked to ensure that their representatives had the experience and expertise to contribute effectively to a health scrutiny process.)

Councillor P Glasman declared a non pecuniary interest in this item of business by virtue of her being on the Board of the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

The Committee discussed its need to maintain its own independent view and referred to Clatterbridge Hospital as an example as it was in the Council’s administrative area.  The Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance informed that the Council would still have its arrangements in place to review issues at the local level.

The Head of Legal and Member Services informed the Committee that it was not expected that there would be any more changes to the Protocol at this time whilst the nine participating authorities were going through the process of agreeing it.  However, it would be kept under regular review and there could be future amendments to ensure that it was working effectively.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the draft Protocol for the Establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny arrangements for Cheshire and Merseyside set out in Appendix 1 to the report be endorsed;

(2)  the Protocol for the Establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny Arrangements for Cheshire and Merseyside set out Appendix 1 to the report be recommended to the Council at its Annual Meeting on 9 June 2014;

(3)  the Committee recommends to the Council at its Annual Meeting on 9June 2014 that it be given delegated authority to amend and revise the Protocol for the Establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny Arrangements for Cheshire and Merseyside as considered appropriate and necessary; and

(4)  the Committee recommends the Council at its Annual Meeting on 9June 2014 to include Article 6A as set out at Appendix 2 to the report within the Council’s Constitution.