MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
AT 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2001
IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

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

Apologies: Ms P Armitage
Mrs I Robinson

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 2:00 pm.

Private Session

1. Chairman's Opening Remarks

i. On behalf of all the members, the Chairman paid tribute to the outstanding service provided to the Committee over the past two years by the Clerk, Mr George Martin, who is leaving the Assembly to take up another post. The Chairman thanked Mr Martin for his sterling contribution and extended best wishes for the future to him and his family. He advised that the new Clerk is to be Mr Peter Hughes, currently with the Committee for Finance and Personnel, who will take up his new post with effect from 17 December 2001.

ii. The Chairman reported briefly on the positive meeting yesterday that he had with a number of GPs from the South Derry area, at which they outlined a number of concerns about health service provision in their area including:

• Inadequacy of ambulance service in the Mid-Ulster area, with a recommendation that 999 calls be triaged

• Unacceptably long waiting lists for various specialities

• Difficulty obtaining beds for acutely ill patients at the Antrim Area Hospital and the Mid-Ulster Hospital

• Continued transfer of work from secondary care to primary care without adequate resources

A briefing paper covering the main points will be copied to members.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

Agreed: In the light of a number of outstanding invitations to the Committee to visit local hospitals, the following future visits programme was provisionally agreed:

Wednesday, 16 January 2002 (am) - Downe District Hospital
Wednesday, 30 January 2002 (am) - Craigavon Area Hospital
Wednesday, 13 February 2002 (am) - Mater Area Hospital
Wednesday to be arranged (am) - Mid-Ulster Hospital

4. Subordinate Legislation

i. The Committee was content with the Department's proposal for the following Statutory Rule: Road Traffic (Health Services Charges) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.

ii. The Committee was content with the Department's proposals for the following two Statutory Rules: The Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002.

iii. Question put and agreed to:

That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee has considered Statutory Rule No.408 - Colour in Food (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules being satisfied as its technical correctness, has no objection to the Rule.

Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department seeking an assurance that it liaises with the Food Safety Promotion Board on all food-related proposals for Statutory Rules.

iv. The Committee noted The Food Protection (Emergency Provisions No.2) (Revocation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001. This has the effect of lifting prohibitions that were introduced as a result of the detection of shellfish poisoning toxins in scallops during routine monitoring in the Irish Sea. Ongoing tests on samples of scallops from the affected area have tested negative for two consecutive weeks, and it is therefore considered safe to lift the restrictions.

Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department seeking an assurance that it liaises with the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development on such cross-cutting legislation.

Public Session

5. Inquiry into the Delivery of Cancer Services in Northern Ireland: Oral Evidence by the HSSPS Minister and Senior Officials

Panel Members: Ms Bairbre de Brún, Minister for HSSPS
Dr Etta Campbell, Chief Medical Officer
Mr Clive Gowdy, Permanent Secretary
Mr Brian Gryzmek, Director of Secondary Care

The Chairman welcomed the Minister and Senior Officials to the meeting at 2:15pm, after which Ms de Brún made an introductory statement on the progress made in the delivery of local cancer services since the Campbell Report and highlighted issues for the future. 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 Minister and her Officials for their full and frank answers, and they left the meeting at 3:15pm.

Mr McFarland left the meeting at 2:42pm.

6. Cancellation of Outpatients Clinics - Draft letter to the Minister

Agreed: The Committee agreed the draft letter to the Minister outlining its concern that some 9% of all outpatient clinics were cancelled in 2000/01 (9503 in total), which was a substantial increase from the 1993/94 cancellation rate of 5.4%. It recommends the implementation of an agreed set of criteria for the Health Service in relation to the scheduling and monitoring of appointments to address this unacceptable treatment of patients and waste of vital resources.

7. Community Statistics, DHSSPS,

Assembly researcher, Dr Janice Thompson, presented a paper reviewing selected aspects of the Department's publication of Community Statistics, 1 April 2000 - 31 March 2001. Some of the more noteworthy statistics were as follows:

• Private homes were providing 31% of all available places in residential accommodation in NI during 2000/01.

• Of the 9375 beds that were available in registered nursing homes as at 31 March 2001, 20% were with Homefirst Community HSS Trust.

• Of the 10, 487 people registered at statutory day facilities as at 31 March 2001, 18% were registered at Homefirst Community HSS Trust.

• Of the 32, 918 staff employed as "mixed activity community and personal social services staff" as at 31 March 2001, 5610 (17%) were employed as administrative and clerical staff. The percentage figures varied from 12% for Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust to 22% and 23% for Newry and Mourne and Homefirst HSS Trusts respectively.

• The number of care packages for the elderly (65+) and those with a learning disability rose by 23% and 49% respectively over the period 1996/97-2000/01.

• Out of a total of 4579 residential care places for the elderly, 1587 (35%) were in private homes.

• There are 293 places in residential accommodation for children (22% voluntary, 78% statutory).

Agreed: Dr Thompson will provide a breakdown of respite care provision for the same period for the next Committee meeting.

Mr Gallagher left the meeting at 3:33pm.

Private Session

8. AOB

i. Agreed: In light of the ongoing pressures on hospitals across NI, and the numbers of "trolley-waits" being increasingly highlighted in the media, a draft press statement will be prepared, to be agreed by the Chairman, registering the Committee's extreme alarm at the current position and urging the Department to make the necessary emergency response. The Committee has requested a meeting with the First and Deputy First Minister to discuss the funding crisis in the Health Service, and reiterates that only a long-term strategy, properly costed and resourced, can begin to tackle the myriad of problems in the health sector.

ii. Agreed: Following a request by the Chairman of the BMA (NI), Maurice Dunlop, for a meeting to discuss current health issues, it was agreed that the Clerk will arrange a suitable slot for an informal lunchtime meeting.

iii. A letter from the Chairman of the Social Development Committee, Mr Fred Cobain, advising that his Committee will be seeking evidence from the HSS Trusts in relation to an inquiry into homelessness was noted.

iv. Agreed: Following a request from Dr Brew Atkinson, Consultant Physician and Honorary Professor of Endocrinology at the RVH, for a meeting to discuss the difficulties in providing diabetes services, the Clerk will arrange a suitable date for an informal lunchtime meeting.

9. Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next meeting will be at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 09 January 2002 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 3:52 pm.

DR J HENDRON
Committee Chairman
December 2001

5 December 2001 / Menu / 9 January 2002