Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meetings held on 22^nd March 2023 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the West Midlands Ambulance Service Strategy & Engagement Director (Vivek Khashu) and the Director of Nursing (Mark Docherty)

The Board considered a presentation and briefing note of the Interim Director of Nursing and the Strategy & Engagement Director, West Midlands Ambulance Service, regarding Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care System Demand, Hospital Delays & Performance and the Regional Demand and Hospital Delays and Performance.  It was noted that the information presented covered Coventry and Warwickshire and pertained to University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, South Warwickshire Foundation Trust and the George Elliot Hospital.

Members of the Scrutiny Board, having considered the content of the briefing note and presentation, asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

·  Regional and local incidents, transport and conveyance rate year on year, hospital handover delays and operational demand and handover delays – categories 1- 4

·  Performance including call handling

·  Improvements due to call categorisation

·  Recruitment, retention and training of staff

·  Staff wellbeing

·  NHS investment in emergency community response

·  Utilisation of ambulances across the region

·  Response prioritisation

·  Gaps in accessing services / social prescribing

·  In-house call answering service

·  Increasing verbal and physical abuse to staff

·  The need to reduce demand on emergency vehicles

·  Inefficiencies in ambulance waiting times across the city

·  Improvements in the reduction of hand-over delays and partnership working to maintain this standard

·  Recruitment challenges

·  111 provision for the West Midlands ceasing due to national policy change.

·  The use of drones in major incident/hazardous areas and the use of google lenses

·  Future improvements regarding accessing information and connectivity to specialist teams.

Members thanked the West Midlands Ambulance Service for their work.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5):

1.  Support the West Midlands Ambulance Service in their request for an independent review of the service.

2.  Recommend to Health Partners that work is undertaken to enable the West Midlands Ambulance Service to gain access to social prescribing.

The Board considered a presentation of the Group Commander, Coventry & Solihull Command, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) regarding pandemic response, the impact of health inequalities, the services the WMFS offer, Key Stage 2 education and future steps.

Members of the Scrutiny Board, having considered the content of the presentation, asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

·  Back home safe and well service and safe and well checks

·  Response to vulnerable person accidents ie. falls

·  Triage according to vulnerability

·  Free smoke alarm provision

·  Fire awareness workshops in communities

·  3 yearly risk reviews to ascertain currency of risk factors

·  Safe and well evaluations to ascertain behavioural changes

·  Formal yearly risk reviews

·  Statutory school curriculum in Year 4

·  Staff being full time fire fighters and not retained staff

·  Increasing diversity/ongoing programmes to reflect recruitment

·  The Vanguard project

The Chair thanked the West Midlands Fire Service for the presentation.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) noted the work programme.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) notes the Work Programme.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

There were no other items of public business.