Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel

View a video of David Heyes, Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne, commenting on his involvement with the Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel in local health services. If you do not have Realplayer, please visit www.real.com  (for free Realplayer download).

Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel meetings will be held on Wednesdays at 3.00pm. 

Search Panel Agendas and Minutes

The Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel has responsibility for considering the local National Health Service trusts, adult social care in accordance with Health and Social Care Acts and elements of housing policy. This panel is the only democratically elected body with a statutory function to carry out scrutiny of the Health Services in Tameside. 

In recent years, the Panel has considered the operation of New Charter Housing, Home Care Services from a Carer's Perspective, Facilities for Disabled People in Town Centres and Dental Provision in Tameside.

Scrutiny of local NHS Trusts was introduced from May 2001 as part of the Government's patient and public participation agenda. This practice has continued with Local Involvement Networks (LINks)  ,which replaced Patient and Public Involvement Forums in April 2008.

The Scrutiny Panel has close links with:

• The Greater Manchester Health Scrutiny Panel  which looks at the provision of Health Services across Greater Manchester and beyond, and
• Pennine Care NHS Trust Joint Health Scrutiny Committee  which scrutinises the services provided by and policies of the Trust in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport as well as in Tameside. 

In Tameside, Health Scrutiny is aimed at improving people's health by looking at the quality, performance, accessibility and outcome of NHS services in the Borough. This is achieved by meeting staff from the Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS Tameside and Glossop, and undertaking cross-cutting, thematic scrutiny exercises and service reviews, looking at the outcome of health and social care provision to all the people of Tameside. The Scrutiny Panel monitors the Dignity in Care Action Plan which arose following criticism of the standard of care provided, by the predecessor of the Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to the elderly in Tameside.

In general, the panel relates to the subjects generally covered by the Executive Member for Adult Services.

Members

Chair Councillor Brenda Warrington

Deputy Chair Councillor D Cartwright

Councillor M Bailey

Councillor J Bowerman

Councillor W Bray

Councillor J Brazil

Councillor M Downs

Councillor J Middleton

Councillor E Shorrock

Councillor R Ambler

Councillor D Buckley

The following also sit on the Panel to provide liaison and expert advice:

• Dr M Cropper

Scrutiny Update - Autumn 2011

The past year has proved a busy one for the Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel. The performance of Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was reviewed by a range of regulators during 2010 following public and media interest. The scrutiny panel undertook a review of the progress made by the Foundation Trust following the publication of these reviews. The panel also looked in depth at the Provision of Acute Services in Tameside. The Panel is currently completing a review on obesity and healthy lifestyles. The aim of the review is to consider how the environment impacts on obesity, by looking at the barriers that prevent people from taking exercise and what services exist to support people to become more active. Panel Members have already been on site visits to leisure centres, parks and country parks across Tameside to see at first hand the facilities available for people to take exercise.

The panel was pleased that the Care Quality Commission, Monitor, the Strategic Health Authority and Tameside Local Involvement Network all agreed that the Foundation Trust was making progress. The scrutiny panel acknowledged that the Foundation Trust is working hard to restore public confidence and improve their reputation. Members believed that the opening of the new hospital building provided an opportunity to further improve public confidence. Members also welcomed the actions the trust has taken to date to increase staffing numbers and thought it essential that this be maintained. The panel welcomed the improved relationship that has been developed with senior managers from the Foundation Trust and looks forward to continuing to constructively scrutinise the performance of the trust in the future. A range of Council services and different organisations have already been interviewed by the Panel to explain the services they provide and how their works helps to create an environment that makes it easier for people to make healthy choices.

This year, a large review conducted by the panel looked into obesity. Nationally obesity has risen over the past 30 years, and is of a serious concern locally for the council and its partner organisations. The Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel decided to review Obesity in Tameside. The panel learnt that obesity in Tameside mirrors the rising numbers seen nationally. The panel openly recognised that reducing obesity would decrease any NHS treatments needed due to obesity, thus saving significant funds. The panel were pleased to hear that the council and partners are working together to tackle the issue and have developed a multi-agency Obesity Strategy and Action Plan. The panel welcomed the range, accessibility and high quality of leisure centre facilities following recent extensive refurbishment. The panel learnt that engaging and encouraging the public to take up the range of fitness opportunities available to them was more challenging.

With regards to recommendations, the panel felt that that the Obesity Strategy should be reviewed regularly and that updates should utilise public consultation. The panel felt that NHS Tameside and Glossop should engage with all GPs in the borough to ensure they signpost more patients to the Health Improvement Service. A recommendation was also made to ensure that all cycling and walking routes are well maintained.

The panel also undertook scrutiny of several other key issues for the Tameside health economy in 2010-11 including the transfer of community services and stroke rehabilitation provision. The provision of community services in Tameside was transferred from NHS Tameside and Glossop to Stockport Hospital Foundation Trust in 2011, the panel monitored the transfer process to ensure services would be maintained or enhanced when the transfer took place. NHS Tameside and Glossop took the decision in 2011 to transfer stroke rehabilitation provision from the award winning Lakes facility in Dukinfield to Tameside Hospital. This decision was scrutinised by the panel to understand how outcomes would be improved for stroke patients, this issue will be further monitored in 2011-12 to ensure plans have yielded improved service provision.

Work Programme:

• Work Programme 2010/11

Reports Published to Date:

• View the reports of the Scrutiny Panel.

How to Contact us

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Scrutiny Support Unit Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne OL6 6DL  View local map
0161 342 2800
0161 342 2166
View Meeting Documentation