03/09/03 - Key meeting for Health and Well Being Scrutiny Committee

At 10.30 on Monday 8 September at Newton Rigg College, Penrith, Cumbria County Council’s Health and Well Being Scrutiny Committee is holding a key meeting to look at health service plans to modernise mental health and learning disability services in Cumbria. The Committee is made up of councillors from the County Council, along with District and Borough Councillors for Carlisle, Eden, Allerdale, Copeland, South Lakeland and Barrow.   

Local councils now have a new power to carry out inquiries and draw up recommendations on how to improve health. These inquiries are known as Health Scrutiny. The new instructions from Government require NHS organisations to consult with Health Scrutiny committees on their plans to change services.   

The Government handed responsibility for scrutinising the NHS to local council’s in the Local Government Act 2000. The committee is responsible for scrutinising the planning, provision and operation of health services in Cumbria as well as playing a part in the consultation and decision making process for major policy initiatives. County Councillor Peter Farmer says,   

“Eden Valley Primary Care Trust (PCT), in consultation with Carlisle and District PCT, West Cumbria PCT and the North Cumbria Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Trust, plans to modernise mental health and learning disability services in Cumbria. The Committee will consider the consultation paper and health partners will give a presentation. The committee meeting includes representations from stakeholders and views will be forwarded to the Chief Executive of Eden Valley PCT by the end of September. All of the views and representations will be considered by the PCT when making decisions about the modernisation of these services." 

County Councillor Liz Mallinson, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee says,   

“I am pleased that the Health and Well Being Scrutiny Committee is meeting to discuss its first policy consultation for the health service in Cumbria. The committee has an important role to play in scrutinising decisions and informing policy development.”   

Invited participants include service users, carers and voluntary sector organisations. There will also be a trade union representative to bring a staff dimension to the proceedings. This will help inform members’ understanding of the implications of the change in service from the perspective of the different organisations involved and the individuals concerned.   

The Committee will receive a presentation from NHS colleagues explaining the thinking; reasons and evidence for proposing to change the way services are currently delivered. Cumbria County Council’s Social Services Directorate has also been asked to share its views. There will be a discussion around the implications in terms of continuity, access, finance and ris k.