Agenda item

Members will receive a verbal update on this item.

Andrew Davies (Policy Officer, Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement) provided Members with a verbal update with regard to developments concerning the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB).  He reminded Members that the setting up of a HWB was required under the Health and Social Care Bill.  As a precursor to the HWB that was anticipated to function from next year, a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board had been set up and this had already met three times since February 2011.  At the last meeting, the Shadow Board had reflected on changes to the Health and Social Care Bill.  Andrew Davies explained that the HWB would play a formal role in developing commissioning plans and referring them back to the clinical commissioning groups or the NHS Commissioning Board, both of which would have a duty to cooperate with the HWB.  The HWB could undertake Executive functions on health and social care matters on behalf of the council, whilst membership of the board was envisaged to be equally proportioned between members and officers, although there could be more elected members if this was preferred.  The committee noted that the HWB was still at the developmental stage and there may be further changes as relationships between organisations developed.  The matter was complicated by uncertainties with regard to the Health and Social Care Bill, however issues for further consideration included decision making, roles and responsibility, terms of reference and HWB’s relationship with other committees.

Councillor R Moher added that further clarification from the Government was awaited before seeing how the relationship with the NHS Commission Board would function.

During discussion, Councillor Cheese sought clarification with regard to clinical networks of experts.  Councillor Daly asked what the composition was of the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board, did the composition of the Boards vary nationally and if it was decided that the majority of Board members should be elected representatives, should this be on a cross-party basis.  The Chair commented that the membership of the Board should reflect the terms of reference. 

Mansukh Raichura (Chair, Brent Local Involvement Network) was invited to comment.  Mansukh Raichura expressed a wish that the views of patients was not diluted and stressed the importance of allowing them to make contributions to the Board.

In reply to the issues raised, Andrew Davies confirmed that the current Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board’s membership consisted of, from the council’s side, the Leader of the Council, the Lead Member for Adults and Health, the Lead Member for Children and Families, the Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement, the Director of Children and Families and the Director of Adult Social Care.  Jo Ohlson, Rob Larkman and Simon Bowen represented NHS Brent on the Board, whilst the directors of the five consortia were also invited to the meetings and Mansukh Raichura attended as a patients’ representative.  Andrew Davies advised that the original guidance had stated that the HWB required at least one member of the Board to be an elected councillor, however the guidance had since been revised to state that HWBs may also be compose a majority of elected members and this issue could be reconsidered.  Members heard that the composition of HWBs did vary nationally and for example the London Borough of Enfield had three sub-groups.  Members could receive a report on how HWBs operated elsewhere if they wished. 

The Chair asked for updates on the HWB at future meetings.