Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

To consider the above petition, bearing 1 400 signatures from Coventry and Warwickshire, which has been submitted by the petition organiser, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which responded to a petition bearing approximately 1400 signatures, which had been submitted to the City Council on 7th November 2018.  The petition was collected by the Coventry and Warwickshire group Keep Our NHS Public (KONP).  The petition was simultaneously submitted to Warwickshire County Council. The petition reported that “We call on our elected representatives involved in the Coventry and Warwickshire ‘Better Health, Better Care, Better Value’ plan (formerly ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan’ – STP) to require Andy Hardy (STP lead) to respond to our petition handed to him on the 11th September 2017 requesting him to publish full details of the financial, workforce and site plans of the STP.”  The petition spokesperson was invited to the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners.  The Cabinet Member had also invited Councillor Gannon, Chair of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) Designated as the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Councillor K Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport.

The Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) was a health led planning process established to achieve the ‘triple aims’ contained within NHS England guidance called "Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance 2016/17 – 2020/21" in December 2015.  The report noted that the delivery of the STP required the input of all key health and social care organisations within areas referred to as ‘footprints’ of which there are 44 nationally.  Coventry was included within the Coventry and Warwickshire footprint and the City Council, through the Deputy Chief Executive for People was present on the STP Board – locally named the Better Care, Better Health, Better Value Board (BCBHBV).

STP footprints were not statutory bodies but collective discussion and planning forums to bring together health and care leaders to plan services for the populations they serve.  The Coventry and Warwickshire STP does not have delegated authority for decision making from its member organisations.  Therefore, any plans produced through the STP (BHBCBV) process would need to be considered and approved by the appropriate decision making bodies of the relevant organisations. 

The STP process had been challenged by local authorities in respect of the degree of openness and sharing.  The Coventry and Warwickshire footprint had submitted its STP to NHS England in October 2016 and following feedback, the plan was released publicly on 7 December 2016.  The requirement from NHS England was that plans were not shared prior to the October 2016 submission.

At its inception the STP process was challenged by the City Council in respect of the degree of openness and sharing.  The leader of the City Council wrote to the chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire STP on 20 October 2016 and the Council considered a report on matters in respect of the STP at its meeting on 3 January 2017, which was subsequently considered by Council on 24 January 2017 (Council minute 98/16 refers).

Despite these early challenges on visibility and openness the STP process did seek to bring all partners together to improve health and care within the resources available.  Under the BCBHBV Board some significant initiatives had taken place including working with the Local Government Association on ‘upscaling prevention’ and the 2019 Year of Wellbeing. 

The Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board received progress reports on the work of the BCBHBV Board and Coventry Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (Scrutiny Board 5) continued to review items related to this work.  In addition, the mechanisms for joint scrutiny with Warwickshire County Council exist should any proposal impacting across the footprint require specific consultation. 

The BCBHBV Board had been chaired by the Chief Executive of University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire since its inception, however an independent chair had now been appointed to chair this board.  Cabinet Member for Adult Services, who was the lead cabinet member for this area had met with the independent chair and discussed the need for appropriate levels of transparency in the work of the board including responding to the petition of 11 September 2017.

The Chair of Coventry KONP Pat McGee, attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners requesting help with their petition to the STP lead Andy Hardy, to publish full details of the financial, workforce and site plans of the STP.  The petitioners were concerned about the lack of detail about how cuts would be managed and the lack of discussion about the impact of the changes on service users.  Another concern was regarding the poor consultations, for example the stroke consultation.  The elected members present were asked to consider transparency, public involvement and sharing of details.

Councillor Gannon sympathised with the petitioners regarding the poor transparency and supported efficiencies, working together and involving users more.  The Shadow Cabinet Member agreed with Councillor Gannon 

The Cabinet Member understood the petitioners concerns and recognised that the STP was a challenge nationally. Progress had not been fast however, partners had been working together and any plans produced through the STP (BHBCBV) process would need to be considered and approved by the appropriate decision making bodies of the relevant organisations.  She had met with the new Chair Chris Ham and agreed to ask for a response to the petitioners. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member

1) Note the petition and through regular dialogue with the Chair of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) Board- locally named the Better Care, Better Health, Better Value Board (BCBHBV) encourage the appropriate level of transparency and openness in the progression of proposals.

2) Support the Chair of Coventry Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) (Scrutiny Board 5) and Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) in ensuring that as proposals are developing there is the appropriate level of political oversight and public involvement

3) Write to the Chief Executive University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), Andy Hardy and the new Independent Chair for Better Health, Better Care, Better Value, Sir Professor Chris Ham and ask them to respond to the petition