Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Mr P Berry
Ms C Hanna
Mr A McFarland
Ms M McWilliams
Ms S Ramsey

Apologies: Rev R Coulter

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 2:05 pm.

Private Session

The Chairman reported briefly on the Annual Conference of the Royal College of Nursing in Harrogate at which he was a guest panellist.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. Draft Response to 'Investing for Health' Consultation Document

Agreed: The Committee was content with the draft response to 'Investing for Health', which the Clerk will forward to the Department.

5. Departmental Guidelines to Public Access to HPSS Bodies' Board Meetings

Agreed: The Committee was content with the Department's draft guidance circular relating to public access to the board meetings of HPSS bodies.

6. AOB

i. Agreed: The Clerk will prepare a synopsis of the Department's response to the Committee's recommendations from its inquiry into residential and secure accommodation for children in Northern Ireland for discussion at the next meeting.

ii. Agreed: The Committee will accept an invitation from Dr Taggart of the Musgrave Park Hospital to visit its Rheumatology Day Ward, and will seek to combine this with a visit to the orthopaedic unit there. The Clerk will also investigate the possibility of the Committee's holding its weekly meeting on site on that date.

iii. Agreed: The Committee will accept, in principle, an invitation from Mr Coey of the Belfast City Trust to visit its Renal Unit. The Clerk will initially write to request an up-to-date position on the unit.

iv. Agreed: Following a letter from Mr Batt O'Keeffe, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health and Children in the Dáil, requesting a visit to Northern Ireland to meet the Committee to discuss matters of mutual interest, the Clerk will make provisional arrangements to schedule a meeting in early September. The correspondence will be copied to OFMDFM.

v. Agreed: Following a letter from the South Tyrone Hospital Community Forum about the unsatisfactory arrangements in relation to out-of-hours GP co-operatives in that area, the Clerk will write to ascertain the precise problems so that comparisons can be made with co-operatives in other (rural) areas that are apparently operating well.

7. Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next Committee meeting will be at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 13 June 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 2:50 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
May 2001

16 May 2001 / Menu / 13 June 2001