WRITTEN
EVIDENCE SUBMITTED
BY CLLR
ANDREW GRAVELLS,
CHAIRMAN OF
THE HEALTH,
COMMUNITY AND
CARE (LOCO 03)
OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY
COUNCIL
The local government scrutiny process is one of the
most important ways that non-executive councillors can address
issues affecting their local communities. Councillors are in regular
contact with local people and are often the first to know when
public services are not performing as well as they should be.
The fresh independent thinking provided by councillors allows
them to suggest better ways of working.
Health scrutiny has been particularly successful
in Gloucestershire and we have a number of examples where it is
making a difference for local people.
— Great Western Ambulance Joint Health
Scrutiny Committee
This committee was set up
in February 2008 due to collective concerns regarding the performance
of the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The seven county
and unitary councils covering the trust area are represented on
the committee. Serious concern had been expressed at poor ambulance
response times in rural areas, most notably in the Cotswolds,
Forest of Dean, Stroud and rural parts of Wiltshire. Councillors
have subsequently worked closely with the ambulance trust to help
them in improving their performance. A notable achievement is
the recruitment of additional community first responders, made
possible through the local knowledge of elected members. The Great
Western Ambulance Service is rated as the most improved ambulance
service in England.
— Bed closures
In March 2010, the Gloucestershire
Hospitals' NHS Foundation Trust announced 200 bed closures at
the hospitals in Gloucester and Cheltenham. The county health
scrutiny committee called the chief executive of the hospitals'
trust in to explain why the changes were being made. At the request
of elected members the proposals were put on hold whilst a consultation
exercise was undertaken with the public and other stakeholders.
Elected members are now working with managers at the hospitals'
trust on ward reconfiguration proposals that will result in a
much smaller number of bed closures.
— Older people's mental health services
Following proposals to centralise
services in Gloucestershire, the health scrutiny committee referred
its concerns to the Secretary of State for Health. The subsequent
negotiations resulted in an agreement to increase community staffing
levels, to phase the relocation of services and to help people
without their own transport to visit relatives in hospital.
What should the future be for health scrutiny?
We would wish to see the power to refer matters to
the Secretary of State that are proposed for the health and well
being boards extended to health scrutiny committees. It would
be wrong for the referral powers to be limited to health and well
being boards which will be made up of representatives from GP
consortia and other decision makers.
September 2010
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