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

Apologies: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Mrs P Armitage
Mrs A Courtney
Mrs I Robinson

In Attendance: Mr P Hughes (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs K McFerran (Executive Support)
Mr B Greene (Administrative Support)

Mr Gallagher took the Chair at 2:10 pm.

Private Session

1. The Deputy Chairman reported on the productive informal meeting that he had yesterday with two representatives from "speechmatters", which is a support network for adults who experience communication difficulties. He advised that the organisation is seeking support for increased funding from the Department and HSS Boards.

Agreed: The Clerk will invite "speechmatters" to outline its case in writing before the Committee decides on any further action.

2. The Deputy Chairman solicited members' views on how the Committee should respond to the increasing number of attacks on emergency services staff and their vehicles. The Committee agreed that this is a matter of deep public concern, as the attacks threaten the safety and lives of the emergency workers and the people they are trying to help.

The Committee felt that there would be considerable value in having a focused effort by government departments, agencies, schools and parents to try to influence the attitude and behaviour of those, mainly young people, carrying out the attacks.

Agreed:

1. The Clerk will draft a press statement, to be agreed by the Deputy Chairman, highlighting the Committee's concern and anger about the attacks on staff who are providing a crucial public service.

2. The Chairman will write to the Minister to ascertain what specific action the Department is taking to address the problem, and to ask if the matter has been raised at Executive level.

2. Minutes of Proceedings

The minutes of proceedings of the meetings of 29 and 30 January were agreed. The Clerk will check the correct position on the wording of the Committee's proposed amendment to the Personal Social Services (Amendment) Bill in relation to which member's name, if any, it should go under, and amend the record accordingly.

3. Matters Arising

1. Arrangements for Committee Meetings

The Committee considered the Clerk's draft paper on arrangements for Committee meetings, including media access.

Agreed: The Clerk will redraft the paper to reflect members' desire for decisions on media access to be agreed by the Committee and for the Chairman to have discretion in relation to the length of filming time.

2. NI Hospice

The Clerk advised the Committee that the NI Hospice is an independent charitable organisation, which received £107,000 for 2001/02 from the Department in respect of core administrative costs. It also has contracts with the Eastern and Northern HSS Boards for service provision totalling £956,000 for 2001/02. The Eastern HSS Board's Registration and Inspection Unit has powers to examine the management and care arrangements in the Hospice.

Agreed: The Committee will keep a watching brief on developments in relation to the management of the Hospice.

Public Session

[2:40 pm]

4. Statutory Rules

Agreed: That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee is content with the Department's proposal for the Food and Animal Feedingstuffs (Product of Animal Origin from China) (Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.

The Clerk will check with the Department on whether Northern Ireland has been affected by such imports.

5. Hospital Crisis Update

The Committee considered a paper from the Department providing an overview of the current position regarding the virus affecting local hospitals. It noted that no beds or wards are now closed as a result of the virus and that the number of "trolley waits" had reduced from 84 last week to 44 as of yesterday.

Agreed: The Clerk will request a final update on the hospital situation for next week's meeting.

[2:50 pm]

6. Draft Service Delivery Agreement (SDA)

Departmental Officials: Mr Paul Simpson
Mr Don Hill
Mr Leslie Frew

The Committee resumed its scrutiny of the draft SDA from last week's meeting at objective 2.8.

Mr Simpson reiterated the point that the document should be viewed in the context of "work in progress". He explained that there were inevitable gaps in detail at present that will be filled soon when the Minister reaches final decisions on budget allocations. He advised that the Priorities for Action document to follow would contain very detailed information on departmental targets. Mr Simpson emphasized that the Minister will be in a position to discuss final budget allocation proposals with the Committee shortly.

Objective 2.8 - Mr Hill undertook to reply in writing to a query by Ms McWilliams as to why £3.3m of the Department's budget bid last June in respect of free nursing care was surrendered. Mr Hill said that this could be partly explained by the fact that the original planning figure had provision for a full year's free nursing care, whereas it was only being introduced from October 2002.

Objective 2.12 - Mr Frew advised that the HSS Boards and Trusts will produce a schedule for the phased roll-out of the 1000 community care packages to be completed by March 2003 when they know their resources for the coming year.

The meeting was suspended at 3:37 pm and resumed at 3:40 pm.

Objective 2.13 - The panel advised that guidance on the detailed composition of the Local Health and Social Care Groups and levels of remuneration are due shortly. The management boards of the new groups are expected to be in place by 1 April 2002, but the appointment of the managers, for example, may take a little longer. The GP Fundholding scheme will cease from 1 April 2002 and the Department, HSS Boards and Trusts will oversee the closure of the final accounts by 30 September 2002.

Mr Simpson explained that the Department has undertaken detailed discussions with the Boards and Trusts in relation to the administrative and professional staff employed by the GP fundholding practices. The assessment of the redeployment unit in the Central Services Agency is that virtually all the administrative staff will be found new employment. The Boards have also given an assurance, judging from the broad figures, that all the professional services delivered through the fundholding system can be maintained.

The Department continues to engage closely with the BMA in relation to the new primary care arrangements and is reasonably confident that most concerns can be allayed. Mr Simpson made the point that GPs were not the only voice in primary care and that the whole point of the new arrangements was to engage with the entire range of primary care providers and the community sector. Monitoring of the new scheme will be carried out within the primary care directorate in the Department.

Objective 2.14 - Mr Frew advised that the Children Matter Taskforce would be driving forward the targets in respect of improving life chances for children, including extending the range of specialist residential care provision. The Chief Executive of one of the HSS Trusts will head up a sub-group to ensure adequate numbers of trainee staff are recruited and retained for the new residential care homes. There are now 15 secure care places for children.

Objective 2.15 - Mr Hill undertook to respond in writing to a query by Ms McWilliams as to why the Fire Service had surrendered £1m in the latest monitoring rounds. He explained that there was a technical requirement for Departments to declare moneys committed but not spent in-year. He further advised that the relevant officials would be willing to brief the Committee on the range of cross-border initiatives to increase co-operation among the emergency services, including "first responder" schemes. The associated budget for the delivery of targets in this area was modest.

Objective 2.16 - Mr Hill explained that, under the Performance Management Framework, the Department would hold Boards to account on a quarterly basis and the Minister would have a formal annual review with each of the Chairpersons of the Boards.

Objective 3 - Absenteeism in the Fire Service has been recognised as a matter of concern. The Officials advised that the final document will include specific time-bound targets for reducing the rates.

Agreed: The Clerk will prepare a draft response to the Department setting out the Committee's views for the Chairman's signature.

The meeting was suspended at 3:35 pm and resumed at 3:40 pm.

Private Session

The Committee deliberated.

Agreed: The Clerk will prepare a final draft Report for consideration at next week's meeting, incorporating a number of issues raised by members.

Public Session

8. Draft Report on the Personal Social Services (Amendment) Bill (NIA 1/01)

The Committee deliberated.

Draft Report on the Personal Social Services (Amendment) Bill (NIA 1/01), proposed by the Deputy Chairman, brought up and read.

Ordered: That the Draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 29 read and agreed to.

Resolved: That the Report be the First Report of the Committee to the Assembly for the session 2001/02.

That the Report should include written and oral evidence from the following witnesses. (Appendix A)

Resolved: That the Report be printed.

Agreed: In light of two belated amendments jointly proposed by Carers NI, Barnardo's and the Children's Law Centre, the Clerk will invite representatives from the organisations, as well as Departmental Officials, to speak to the issues at next week's meeting.

9. AOB

1. In relation to a concern raised by Ms McWilliams about the comparative lack of detail on the Committee's work programme contained in the weekly information bulletin, the Clerk undertook to examine the matter. The Clerk will provide members with a brief report on the key points arising from the informal lunchtime Committee meetings with health groups.

2. The Clerk advised members that a programme for the visit to the Mater Hospital on Wednesday, 13 February between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm had been issued. In relation to a general concern of some members regarding the suitability of Wednesday mornings for the programme of hospital visits, the Clerk undertook to canvass the Committee's views in order to establish the optimum day and time.

3. Agreed: In relation to requests from the Multi-disciplinary Forum on Primary Care for an urgent meeting in relation to the new arrangements post-April 2002 and creation of the new Local Health and Social Care Groups, the Clerk will arrange for early slot in the Committee's future work programme.

The Clerk will provide members with a copy of a letter from BMA (NI) to all GPs in Northern Ireland in relation to the new primary care arrangements, for consideration at next week's meeting, when the Chief Executive of the Eastern HSS Board will be in attendance to speak to the issue.

4. Agreed: The Committee agreed to a request from the NI Nurse Practitioners Forum for a meeting to discuss their role in primary and secondary care. In the context of the imminent transition to new primary care arrangements, the Clerk will prioritize the meeting for an early slot in the Committee's work programme.

5. Agreed: The Committee agreed to accept an invitation for a presentation from the Food Standards Agency (NI) on its background and work. The Clerk will arrange a suitable date and time in the Committee's work programme.

6. Agreed: In relation to the current controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine, and the crisis in public confidence, the Committee agreed to invite the Chief Medical Officer and representatives from other concerned organisations to speak to the issue at a full Committee meeting. The Clerk will arrange for an early slot in the Committee's work programme.

7. The Committee noted a conference organised by the Northern Ireland Traumatic Brain Injury Forum, which is scheduled for The Waterfront Hall on Tuesday, 5 March 2002. Members agreed that there was an important issue in relation to the provision of respite care for the 4,000-odd people affected by brain injuries.

10.Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next Committee meeting will be at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 13 February 2002 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 4:50 pm.

MR T GALLAGHER
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
February 2002

5 February 2002 / Menu