Issue - meetings

- update by Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing

Councillor Ken Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, provided an update in relation to HealthWatch: -

• The Chair of HealthWatch England had been appointed; 
• There was an agreed budget until March, 2013, and possibly a regional network to provide support;
• Rotherham MBC and NHS Rotherham had run an event at Rockingham Professional Development Centre;
  • 18 organisations had attended;
  • The purpose of the event was to share information and service priorities.

The main issues that the partners agreed were: -

• Engagement with children, young people and families’ issues was necessary;
• HealthWatch must take care to not just listen to the loudest voices;
• Staff transferring into the organisation and TUPE issues. 

HealthWatch England had received £3million in funding for the period October, 2012, to March, 2013, to fund their national set-up.  The organisation would have to fulfil the following roles: -

• Include Children’s Agenda;
• Support Local HealthWatch;
• Complaints and Advocacy;
• Engagement work with carers and patients;
• Proactive role in alerting local authorities, hospitals and Clinical Commissioning Groups to issues.  

HealthWatch would operate along a social enterprise model.  It was acknowledged that the organisation would have a large number of work streams to maintain and that there would be many draws on their funding.  It was imperative, therefore, that HealthWatch did not duplicate other work such as that carried out by Quality Care Commission or Ofsted. 

A pilot of a Local HealthWatch organisation had taken place in Essex County and had been successful; there were 24 members of the public involved in this pilot. 

It was noted that as a service commissioned by the Rotherham Local Authority, the contract would be monitored by the Commissioning Team within the Resources Directorate.  The contract would be fully operational by April, 2013. 

Resolved: -  That the information shared be noted and the Cabinet Member be thanked for his attendance.