Committee Chair: Councillor Susan Barnett
Contact: susan.barnett@birmingham.gov.uk
Committee Membership: Cllr Sam Burden, Cllr Mick Finnegan, Cllr Dorothy Hargreaves, Cllr Mohammed Idrees, Cllr Zafar Iqbal, Cllr Karen McCarthy, Cllr Lynn Collin Cllr Sue Anderson, Cllr Anne Underwood.
Key Priorities for the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Back in July 2012 key priorities for the Committee to focus on during 2012-13 were identified as Prevention, the Whole System Approach, Working Together and Innovation. These topics have been at the heart of the Committee's scrutiny work in the new emerging health landscape. Key topics for scrutiny this year have included;
* The development of the three Clinical Commissioning Groups in Birmingham.
* Public Health transition to the Local Authority from the NHS.
* Ageing well & care for the frail elderly.
* Urgent Care, including the roll out of NHS 111, the future of 'Walk In' Centres, the appropriate use of A&E, the GP Out of Hours service and the Ambulance Service.
* Supporting adults with learning disabilities.
The Committee's Inquiries.
Sometimes Scrutiny Committees decide to undertake an in depth study into one particular topic, inviting members of the public, partner organizations and officers within the Council to contribute. This year the Committee has undertaken two inquiries.
1) Adults with autism and the criminal justice system. This inquiry was completed in December 2012 and is available to download from the Scrutiny Reports Library. The Committee will receive a report in the summer discussing the implementation of the report's recommendations.
2) Preventing older people falling in Birmingham. This inquiry is still in progress, the Committee's final report will be discussed at the City Council meeting on the 11th June 2013.
Health Scrutiny Development Area
To support us in the new way of working, Birmingham Health Scrutiny was selected by the Centre for Public Scrutiny as one of fifteen 'Scrutiny Development Areas' across the country. The Committee has been supported by an expert advisor to establish how scrutiny can develop its role in relation to the NHS and broader concerns for care and health. Outcomes from this work will be fed back to the Department of Health to inform policy development and will be included in Centre for Public Scrutiny guidance.
Meeting Dates
A number of meeting dates have been confirmed. You are welcome to attend Committee meetings to observe the discussion. Additional meetings and inquiry sessions will also be scheduled throughout the year for the Committee to focus on key issues as and when they arise.
Joint Committee Work
Both the Birmingham and Sandwell Joint Health Scrutiny Committee and the Birmingham and Solihull Health Scrutiny Committee hold their meetings in public and you are most welcome to attend. The Joint Committees meet when there are proposed changes to services which may possibly have a substantial impact to residents in both Local Authority areas. Future meeting dates will be placed on the www.birmingham.gov.uk/scrutiny.
Depending on where the meeting is being held, the papers are available to download a week before from either the Democracy in Birmingham website,
the Sandwell Committee Management Information System at http://cmis.sandwell.gov.uk/cmis5/Home.aspx
or the Solihull Council website at http://www.solihull.gov.uk/democracy/meetingagendas.htm.
Officer Support:
Rose Kiely, Group O&S Manager Tel: 0121 303 1730 Email:rose.kiely@birmingham.gov.uk
crutiny Links:
Meeting dates
Current Reviews
Scrutiny Report Library