Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Ms P Armitage
Mr B Berry
Rev R Coulter
Ms C Hanna
Mr T Gallagher (Deputy Chairman)
Mr A McFarland
Ms M McWilliams
Ms S Ramsey
Mrs I Robinson

Apologies: Mr J Kelly

In Attendance: Mr G Martin (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs K McFerran (Executive Support)
Ms C Bloomfield (Administrative Support)

Dr Hendron took the Chair at 2:08 pm.

Private Session

i. On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman welcomed Ms Bloomfield, who has recently joined as a member of the support staff.

ii. The Chairman reminded members of the importance of replying promptly to the invitation from Ms Hilary Heron, acting head of the Royal College of Nurses (NI), to attend the Nurse of the Year Award at 8:00 pm in the Culloden Hotel on Thursday, 10 May. This will be a formal function.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

i. Agreed: As the Minister is unable to attend the Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 9 May, the Clerk will invite the Permanent Secretary and senior Departmental Officials to attend in her absence on that date to provide a briefing on the current position regarding Cancer Services.

ii. The Clerk has prepared diagrams of the Primary Care options, which he has passed to the Department to check for accuracy.

iii. The Minister for Health and Children in the Republic of Ireland has written to acknowledge the Chairman's letter concerning the treatment and compensation in the Republic of Haemophiliacs who have contracted Hepatitis C, and has advised that the matter will receive full attention.

4. Subordinate Legislation

i. The Committee was content with the Department's proposals for the following Statutory Rules: Feeding Stuffs (Sampling and Analysis) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001; and The Health and Personal Social Services (Assessment of Resources) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.

ii. Question put and agreed to:

That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee has considered the following Statutory Rules:

No. 133/2001 - Health and Personal Social Services Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations 2001; and

No. 135/2001 - General Medical Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules being satisfied as to their technical correctness, has no objection to the Rules.

iii. The Committee noted the Department's proposal to introduce the following Statutory Instruments, which will take effect on a UK-wide basis: The Medicines (Products For Animal Use Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2001; the Introduction of the Medicines (Veterinary Drugs) (Prescription Only) Order 2001 and the Medicines (Veterinary Drugs) (General Sale List) Order 2001.

Public Session

Panel Members: Dr Henrietta Campbell, Chief Medical Officer

Mr Bill Smith, Director of Health Development Inspectorate

Mr Michael Bloomfield, Investing For Health Team Leader

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2:15 pm, after which Mr Bloomfield gave a brief presentation on the consultation document, followed by a question-and-answer session. The deliberations are summarised in Annex 1 to the minutes. The Chairman thanked the panel, and they left the meeting at 3:40 pm.

Mrs Robinson and Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 2:20 pm and 2:25 pm respectively.

Private Session

i. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department requesting an update on the current difficulties at the Children's Hospice.

ii. Agreed: The Clerk will respond to a request from Omagh District Council to make a presentation regarding the Acute Hospitals Review by advising that the Committee will await the issue of the report for consultation before deciding on how to take the matter forward.

Agreed: The Chairman will contact Dr Maurice Hayes to remind him of the Acute Hospital Review Group's agreement to meet the Committee before it finalises its report.

iii. The Clerk has referred the Department's consultation document 'Best Practice - Best Care' to the researcher to prepare a draft response.

iv. Agreed: The Committee will defer consideration of the guidance on the discharge of people with mental disorders from hospital or prison until the issue for consultation of new guidance in the autumn.

v. The Clerk has requested the researcher to assess the extent to which the Committee's previously stated views have been taken on board in the Department's second stage consultation paper on the equality implications of HSSPS policies.

vi. The Committee will discuss its future work programme, including possible topics for an inquiry, at next week's meeting, which will be held in closed session. To this end, the Clerk has asked the Department to put tentative timescales for the major issues detailed in the Minister's letter to the Chairman of 10 April 2001.

vii. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department to request an update report on the cryptosporidium outbreak.

viii. The Clerk will circulate members with a copy of the Chairman's speech on the Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Bill, which is scheduled for its Consideration Stage at next week's plenary session, to help inform their own contributions to the debate.

ix. The Clerk advised that the Consideration Stage for the Family Law Bill has been deferred until the week commencing 14 May. This is to allow time for the inclusion of some technical amendments related to the agreed "best interests" amendment to Clause 1.

x. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Chest Heart & Stroke Association confirming the Committee's endorsement of the four challenges to the next Government to tackle stroke, which the Association set out in its press release of 19 April 2001.

xi. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department to express the Committee's concern at not having received an advance copy of the press release on new arrangements for couples with fertility problems.

Agreed: The Clerk will refer the briefing paper by CARE on the ethical problems of infertility treatment to the Department.

xii. Agreed: Following concerns raised by a member about an incident at the Ulster Hospital, the Clerk will write to the Department to request the policy across the HSS Trusts on resuscitation of patients, with particular regard to how their relatives are kept informed of critical developments.

xiii. Agreed: Following receipt of the first Departmental return on the occupational therapy assessments outstanding, the Clerk will write to request that these be made monthly instead of quarterly.

7. Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 2 May 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 3:55 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

April 2001

4 April 2001 / Menu / 2 May 2001