Issue - meetings

This report seeks agreement from the Cabinet for the council to participate in the proposed Independent North-west London Healthcare Commission.  The Independent commission has been proposed to examine.

i) that the council participating in the Independent North-West London Healthcare Commission (draft terms of reference attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be agreed;

ii) that £25k be contributed to the costs of the Independent North-west London Healthcare Commission. The costs of participating are being shared equally across the four participating boroughs.

Councillor Hirani (Lead Member Adults, Health and Wellbeing) introduced a report from the Assistant Chief Executive which sought the agreement of Cabinet for the council to participate in the Independent North-West London Healthcare Commission. The Commission would examine the impact and implementation of the Sharing a Healthier Future (SaHF) programme. SaHF had encompassed the cessation of a number of acute services including Accident and Emergency units in North-West London. The Commission had been proposed in response to concerns raised in the media, by local authority leaders and inspection bodies such as the Care Quality Commission regarding timely access to health services and the capacity of out of hospital and community based services to cope with the cessation of acute services. Members were referred to the draft terms of reference for the commission set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Councillor Hirani highlighted that the Commission would seek evidence from across the borough, including healthcare providers, user groups and would engage local people. If the Cabinet agreed to the council’s participation, it was anticipated that a full report on the Commission’s findings would be presented to Cabinet in the first half of 2015.

Conrad Hall (Chief Finance Officer) drew members’ attention to paragraph 4.1 of the report and advised that this should read that the one off cost of the commission could be met from the underspend in the current year or, in the event that this was not achieved  from reserves.

With the permission of the Chair, Councillor Warren addressed the meeting, stating that he was opposed to the Council’s involvement with the Commission which he felt was politically motivated and that the council should take the role of a critical friend. Mr Lorber raised concerns regarding the benefit of participating in the Commission.

During the subsequent discussion, members of the Cabinet welcomed the creation of the Independent Commission emphasising the severity of the concerns raised regarding the NHS for the residents of Brent and the rest of North West London and noting the cross-party agreement on these concerns with the opposition party. Members’ emphasised that the council had an obligation to the residents of Brent to deliver health priorities. 

RESOLVED:

    (i)        that the council participating in the Independent North-West London Healthcare Commission (draft terms of reference attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be agreed;

   (ii)        that £25k be contributed to the costs of the Independent North-West London Healthcare Commission. The costs of participating are being shared equally across the four participating boroughs.