Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Ms P Armitage
Mr P 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 2:09 pm.

Private Session

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

i. The Clerk has produced a diagram showing the Committee's preferred primary care option.

ii. The Chairman and Clerk met this morning with Professor Paddy Johnston at Belfast City Hospital regarding the remit of the Committee's forthcoming inquiry into the delivery of cancer services in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: The Committee will undertake an inquiry under the following terms of reference:

To investigate the current position with regard to the delivery of cancer services in Northern Ireland, and to make recommendations for improvement.

The delivery of cancer services to include:

• the needs of patients;

• the provision of facilities;

• the staffing of doctors, nurses and ancillary staff;

• the variations in services for different cancers; and

• the structure of the cancer centre and units.

iii. The Clerk has written to remind the Department of the Committee's need for a standard system that will clearly track spending bids, in order to facilitate its effective scrutiny of the Budget plans.

3. Subordinate Legislation

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

No.155/2001 - Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and No. 167/2001 - General Medical Services (Amendment No.2) 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.

ii. The Committee noted the Department's proposal for a Statutory Instrument, Introduction of the Medicines (Aristolocia and Mu Tong etc) (Prohibition) Order 2001, which will take effect on a UK-wide basis from 1 July 2001.

Public Session

Panel members: Miss Ruth Clarke, NI Board Chairperson
Ms Breedagh Hughes, NI Board Secretary
Ms Claire O'Flaherty, Consumer Representative

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2:30 pm, after which Ms Hughes spoke to a briefing paper that had been copied to the Committee in advance of the presentation. This was followed by a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex 1. The Chairman thanked the panel, and they left the meeting at 3:25 pm.

Agreed: The Chairman will write to the Minister on behalf of the Committee expressing its support for the following three main objectives of the Royal College of Midwives (NI) to address current staffing recruitment and retention problems in the sector:

• A regional strategic multi-professional working group should be set up under the auspices of the Department to examine how maternity care can best be provided in Northern Ireland.

• The three-year direct entrant midwifery training course that is available in GB should be extended to Northern Ireland as soon as possible. This additional gateway to the profession would complement the existing 18-month midwifery training course currently available to qualified nurses here.

• The number of annual midwifery student places in Northern Ireland should be increased from 30 to 40 as soon as possible.

Additionally, given the Secretary of State for Health's recent announcement of an additional £100m to modernise maternity care in England over the next two years, the Chairman will press the Minister to lobby for a pro rata increase for Northern Ireland.

Rev R Coulter, Ms Ramsey and Mrs Robinson left the meeting at 2:53 pm, 3:25 pm and 3:26 pm respectively.

The meeting was suspended at 3:25 pm and resumed at 3:32 pm.

5. Presentation by Departmental Officials on Cancer Services

Panel members: Dr Henrietta Campbell, Chief Medical Officer
Mr John McGrath, Human Resource Director
Mr Brian Grzymek, Secondary Care Director

The Chairman welcomed the Officials to the meeting at 3:32 pm, after which Mr McGrath gave the Committee an outline of the background to the review of cancer services in Northern Ireland and the present position in relation to the revised business case for the proposed new regional Cancer Centre. This was followed by a question-and-answer session, and the entire proceedings are recorded separately in verbatim minutes of evidence. The Chairman thanked the Officials for their frankness, and they left the meeting at 4:40 pm.

Mr Gallagher and Ms Armitage left the meeting at 4:00 pm and 4:20 pm respectively.

The meeting was suspended at 4:40 pm and resumed at 4:48 pm.

i. Agreed: Members accepted the offer by the Royal College of General Practitioners (NI) to make a presentation to the Committee. The Clerk will arrange a suitable date after the forthcoming elections.

ii. Agreed: The Chairman will write to thank his counterpart on the Social Development Committee for offering this Committee the opportunity to provide an input to its inquiry into urban regeneration and community development. While regretfully, due to time constraints, the Committee is not in a position to make a submission, it will recommend that the Social Development Committee seek contributions from the following two bodies that have a direct interest in this subject: the South & East Belfast Primary Care Group and the Community Development Health Network (NI).

7. Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 16 May 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 5:00 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

May 2001

5 May 2001 / Menu / 16 May 2001