Healthwatch transitional Board Meeting
held in the Acorn Room, Tontine House
10.30 - 1pm on Wednesday, 1st May 2013
Present:
Elaine Cotterill (EC)
Eddie Cunningham (ECu)
Jayne Parkinson
John Perry
Jan Parr (PA to John)
Matt Roberts (Chair)
Emma Rodriguez dos Santos (Minutes)
Brenda Smith
Joan Young
Sam Omar
Jonathan Griffiths
Leah Usher (PA to Jonathan)
Observers:
Ashish Prabu (and PA Becki Dempster)
Apologies
Gerry O’Connell
Minutes of Previous Meeting
Minute accuracy – remove action re. concerns about wheelchair service, this had been
mis-understood by a Board member who was concerned that there were delays and a
long waiting list. Brenda Smith confirmed this was not the case and a report of the
service and its functions was available.
Matters Arising
Management Committee role:
Minimum 5 hours per week expected plus variable hours in addition (whatever you’re
prepared to give), there’s a need to make it as appealing as possible and not to
dissuade people from applying for the committee places due to time commitment.
To include in application pack:
- A deadline for return of applications
-
Forms will be available in different formats and applications are welcome from all
sections of the community.
E-mail out pack and any comments back by tomorrow to ERDS.
Ward Ambassadors – elderly friendly wards at St. Helens & Knowsley hospitals
SO, BS, EC, all available to complete visits and to check their e-mails and respond.
Action: Jayne P to feedback to the organiser re. the need to contact volunteers
promptly as their availability is also in high demand.
Code of Conduct
Circulate with Management Committee role and comments back and comments back
Action: Jayne P will also include aspects in application packs for Chair and
Management Committee roles
Current Work
Home Care survey – Kershaw Centre and 2 x Age UK sessions – Andrew Waugh
(Kershaw Centre) and Kim Smith (Central and Newton Age UK Branch) - want to see
questionnaire before will allow attendance Action: Jayne P to send.
Also Horizon Lunch Club – Jayne P waiting to hear back whether can go it.
Action: All – to promote the survey and ask neighbours or people they know receiving
care to ensure have seen the form and to return any before end of July (closing date
now passed but still need responses)
Defibrillators
Jayne P had met with Councillor Mike Haw, who plans to put together petition with
Healthwatch logo and hence support requested. Agree that Healthwatch logo to be
included (with a one-line statement saying Healthwatch supports the campaign)
PLACE Visits
St Helens Hospital visit has taken place, this was completely different to the Peasley
Cross experience and the site was also of a very good standard. Report has been
finalised and sent to organiser and PLACE training team.
Re. the Peasley Cross visit and report – EC has contacted Care Quality Commission
(CQC) who said it was not their issue and suggested we should refer it to our local
Clinical Commissioning Group.
PLACE team, based in Leeds, who actually designs and manages visits and training –
Graeme Jacobs, has clarified how the process has been done and confirmed with
Elaine that she had received no contact further with 5 Boroughs Partnership.
Healthwatch England (HWE) has also asked to include our findings/information into
their guidance around patient involvement in visits.
End of Life Coffee Morning date to be arranged – ERDS to offer various to Willowbrook
and Hospital Trust/ask them to suggest a date and work around that. ERDS to organise
final publicity and liaise with relevant partners.
Feedback from Representatives
15th April - Healthwatch session (by NAVCA) – Action: JP has provided a basic report
(see attached) but has already passed to ERDS the presentation and lots of
information, which is available on a pen drive.
18th & 19th April - Equality Delivery Scheme – GO’C attended 2 days of Trust
presentations about their equality work and produced a report. JY said she had noted to
St. Helens & Knowsley Trust that no one was present from their organisation.
Action: JY to address at Patient Safety Experience Council – along with other issues.
23rd April - Healthwatch Conference and outcomes session (by Transition Alliance) –
Eddie Cunningham, Sam Omar and David Bailey (Healthwatch members) attended with
Council colleagues. It was about getting Healthwatchs’ ready for performance
monitoring measures. It was suggested we should start talking to partners and putting
out draft outcomes for debate, plus there needs to be a balance with what local
authority wants measures to be. Interesting quote for the day “you’ll know when you’re
an effective Healthwatch because you start making the CCG and HWBB nervous”.
Healthwatchs’ also need to have their arguments ready for why they cannot address
some concerns raised by the community.
Healthwatchs need to make sure they’re not pigeon-holed and do actually speak up for
public.
One of Commissioners (Councillor for Wigan East) noted it’s a massive piece of work
for volunteers and will take some time.
Report available, provided by Transition Alliance.
ERDS e-mail out the draft set of outcomes from the tender to transitional Board
members, and subsequent draft outcomes proposed by Policy Unit.
20th April - Acute Care Pathway/Later Life And Memory Services – SO could not attend.
Sets of minutes for this meeting are available from the support team, but in summary
the meetings alternate between St. Helens and Knowsley and will concentrate on Later
Life services in future as the Acute Care Pathway has been implemented. Patient and
service user involvement has improved around the recovery elements of the new
pathway, with St. Helens Mental Health Forum co-developing the way of working for the
recovery approach. More details are available, however this was a LINk area of work
and the support team needs to now concentrate on the Healthwatch development work.
29th April - End of Life steering group (St. H & K Trust)
Brenda fed back on meetings of this group, which she has attended for the last two and
informed people about various initiatives that the Trust is attempting to increase
awareness and skilling up staff at having the conversations and generally improving
End of Life care and planning.
e.g. St Helens is a pilot for a national project called TRANSFORM.
e.g. the Aqua Project, which is about starting discussions within the last 12 months of
life including Specialists of Lung, Gynaecology, upper Gastro-Intestinal tract and
unknown primary. The aim is to start discussions earlier in primary care services about
end of life care planning. 2 Launch sessions have taken place with staff about these
initiatives
Also people can request a Rapid Discharge within 4 hours if they want to die at home,
the procedure needs to emphasize the step of contacting their GP straight away to
make sure they are aware, this was highlighted in a report from Gerry and Brenda
where various reasons are stopping dignified death due to legal compliance of parts of
system, etc. and wasting money because of unnecessary post mortems.
The Trust wants to invest in an electronic system costing more than £12,000, etc.
‘Graphnet’ which would be complementary to systems that GPs would use which would
make sure GP practices had up-to-date information about care plans, etc.
The meeting asked Healthwatch to address issues like Power of Attorney, wills etc.
which are further complications around a death for relatives. These would be covered at
the upcoming coffee morning on the topic.
Other
JG’s report was read out and members took copies. Jonathan was continuing to support
the Autism and Aspergers Union to develop e.g. a website and work on-going with the
St. Helens strategy around Autism, including the lack of training being pursued for frontline staff locally, is an ongoing concern.
Date of the next Board Meeting
19th June instead 12th June and invite Caroline Lees and Mark Arnold from St. Helens
Clinical Commissioning Group.
Any Other Business
Elaine wanted to make Healthwatch’ aware of some work she is getting involved in
locally. She has had a long involvement in self-directed support for people with support
needs. St Helens MBC recently published guidance that didn’t get consulted on
sufficiently and a national body ‘In Control’ and Elaine have had some concerns about
it. E.g. the guidance around financial controls doesn’t really promote
independence/choice and there are contradictions within document, which could create
disputes and confusion. Adult Services were approached and agreed that Elaine could
meet with staff to rewrite guidance, from her perspective as a carer supporting someone
to manage a Direct Payment, and make it friendlier. Elaine asked Healthwatch
committee to support with it because could mean a good outcome for Healthwatch in
changing it. This was discussed and unanimous support was given for Elaine in this, to
use her experiences that might improve services for all the community.
Reports – see attached.
Healthwatch session 15th April (NAVCA)
Healthwatch conference 23rd April (Transition Alliance)
Report from Jonathan Griffiths - activity
Report from Gerry O’Connell – activities of Trusts regarding Equality Delivery
System objectives and work.
Healthwatch training
Healthwatch
Report Healthwatch
Equality Delivery
in st helens (NAVCA).dot
Conference - performance
committee
monitoring
Maysession
2013.doc
23rd
System
April-18&19th
2013 - Eddie
AprilCunningham.doc
sessions report 2013 - Gerry O'Connell.doc