Minutes:
(A) Question by MR HUNT
“1. “Many
people, particularly those of a certain age or vulnerability, will have been
struck by the interview on East Midlands BBC (13/2/22) with a gentleman from
the County who could not obtain timely treatment due to rising waiting lists,
worse than elsewhere in the East Midlands. Could the Chair of Scrutiny
Commission provide some reassurance that we are positively scrutinising these
key rising waiting lists, not tinkering at the edges but identifying ways in
which Leicestershire can improve against other areas, and publishing our
findings, which can all too easily be buried in minutes?”
Reply by MR MULLANEY
“1. Can
I begin by thanking Max for his question. The
pandemic has had a significant impact on an already stretched health and social
care service and this has been acknowledged by all. It now appears that
we may be over the worst of the large surge in cases that occurred as a result of Omicron and Christmas gatherings with Covid
pressures easing on acute and community services.
Members of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been aware of the
concerns and worry of people who have had delays in treatment which have been
exacerbated as a result of the pandemic and it has
raised these concerns with NHS colleagues.
On 10th November the Committee received very informative reports and
presentations on (link to meeting below):
(i)
Current data access to primary care services, the
challenges being faced by GP practices and initiatives being introduced to
improve access;
(ii)
The Restoration and Recovery Plans of health care
providers, particularly on dealing with the significant backlog that has built
up in terms of diagnosis and elective care.
https://politics.leics.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1045&MId=6431&Ver=4
NHS managers who attended the meeting acknowledged the significant
backlog that had built up and had prepared the plans so that there was
transparency in the way in which they would seek to prioritise and deal with
this. They, along with the members of
the Committee, were aware that the task ahead was monumental and would require
significant investment of resources and staff, and even then
it was unlikely that significant reductions in the backlog and waiting times
could be achieved in the short term.
The Government has made promises of significant new resources as a result of raising National Insurance
contributions. Most of these resources
are to be directed to the NHS with very little to support the social care
sector. This I believe is a mistake as the ability of the NHS to deliver
will be dependent upon hospitals being able to discharge patients to a social
care setting for after care and rehabilitation. Without significant
national investment in social care the social care market cannot develop and
function on a sustainable level and this will impede the NHS in its
delivery. The Adults and Communities
Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 1st November was advised of
significant demand pressures. The
financial impact of the increased need and demand is such that the Department
is forecasting a significant overspend against budget in this financial year
and this is likely to grow in subsequent years.
As a consequence the Council is allocating £25m
growth for social care within the MTFS for 2022/23 rising to £35m over the four
year period.
Over the coming year the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be monitoring
the position and members will be raising issues and concerns. I am sure
that the County Council as the social care authority will be working closely
with NHS colleagues on this.
Finally, I think you make a valid point regarding publishing our
findings. The next edition of our
residents’ newsletter, Leicestershire Matters, will include an update on the
work of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and I am sure that the Chair
and Spokespersons of that Committee working with the Lead Member and our comms
team will want to look at anything further for the future.”