MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS AT 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2001

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

Apologies:
Rev R Coulter
Ms C Hanna
Mr J Kelly

In Attendance:
Mr G Martin (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs K McFerran (Executive Support)
Mr G Neill (Administrative Support)
Dr J Thompson (Assembly Researcher)

Dr Hendron took the Chair at 2:05pm.

Private Session

1. Chairman's Opening Remarks

i. The Chairman reported on the meeting that he and a number of members had met yesterday with representatives of the medical profession from the Ulster Hospital, together with a cross-party delegation from the Health Committee of Castlereagh Borough Council, to discuss current pressures at the hospital. There was a broad welcome for the positive response of the Minister in allocating £2m for the re-instatement of the Jaffa ward, which will create an extra 20 beds when the work is completed in Summer 2002.

Agreed: Following an invitation to the Committee to visit the Ulster Hospital, the Clerk will liaise with the Trust's Chief Executive to arrange a visit on the morning of Tuesday, 16 October 2001.

ii. The Chairman advised members that the next meeting of the Chairpersons' Liaison Group meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 16 October 2001.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

The Minister's response to the Chairman's letter requesting that she consider releasing immediately the £2m that she has earmarked for additional beds to come on stream in June 2002 has been copied to members.

4. Subordinate Legislation

Agreed: The Committee was content with the Department's proposal for the following Statutory Rule: The General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

The Clerk will write to the Department to query why the Committee had not been given the prescribed 21-day advance notice in respect of the proposed Rule, and to ask why it had not come into effect in April 2001, in line with England, Scotland and Wales.

Public Session

5. Executive Programme Funds

Agreed: Following the Committee's consideration of the Department's paper outlining its bids against the EPFs, it was agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department to highlight and seek answers to the concerns set out below:

• There was criticism of the fact that the Department had broken a commitment made last year to consult with the Committee in advance of the bids being prepared.

• There was no detail of the rationale for selection of the preferred bids in the context of EPFs, or of how the bidding process was effected. There was no information on the bids that had been unsuccessful.

• Members wanted to know why bids had only been made against three of the EPFs' five criteria.

6. Hospital Statistics - Outpatients Clinics Cancelled

The Committee considered a paper from its Assembly Researcher on cancellation of outpatient clinics, which was based on data from a Departmental publication on hospital statistics for the year-end 31 March 2001. There was considerable alarm at the overall average of 9% of outpatient clinics cancelled, which the Committee views as wholly unacceptable, particularly in the light of current waiting lists and extreme fiscal pressures on the Health Service.

Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Chief Executives of those HSS Trusts where outpatient clinic cancellations exceeded 5% to request an explanation for the figures, including who decides on cancellations; and to ask what remedial action is being taken to reduce the numbers.

7. Acute Hospitals Review Group Report: Initial Draft Response

The Committee deliberated.

i. Agreed: The Clerk will prepare an amended draft response for consideration at next week's meeting.

ii. Agreed: The Clerk will request the Committee Researcher to examine potential streamlined reconfigurations of the local Health Service structures, including costings.

Ms McWilliams and Ms Ramsey left the meeting at 3:22 pm and 3:35 pm respectively.

Private Session

8. AOB

i. Mr Berry highlighted a concern raised with him by the PAMs managers in the Southern HSS Board regarding a decision by the Board not to appoint a PAMs Commissioner for the area. It was noted that both the Northern and Eastern HSS Boards have full-time Commissioners in post, while the Western HSS Board is shortly to uplift its respective post from part-time to full-time.

Agreed: The Clerk will write to Brendan Cunningham, Chief Executive of the Southern HSS Board, urging him to appoint a PAMs Commissioner, in line with the three other Board areas. Failure to do so will, it is strongly contended, impact adversely on the ability of PAMs to play a full and active role in the planning and commissioning of services in that area.

ii. Agreed: The Committee agreed, in principle, to meet informally with a delegation from Age Concern in relation to the deferral of the introduction of free nursing care for older people. The Clerk will arrange a future lunchtime slot, when there is an easement in the Committee's work programme.

iii. Agreed: Following a concern raised by Ms Hanna, the Clerk will write to the Department to ascertain the reason for the delay in the implementation of the outcome of the Review of Neurology Services, which was completed in November 2000, and to ask when this can be expected.

9. Date and Time of the Next Meeting

There will be an additional Committee meeting at 10:30 am on Friday, 12 October 2001 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings, where the Minister will be in attendance to answer questions on the current crises in the Health Service. The next weekly Committee meeting will take place as normal at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 17 October 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 4:10 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
October 2001

26 September 2001 / Menu / 12 October 2001