Agenda and minutes

The apologies of Councillor Houghton were noted.

To elect the Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2025/26.

The Chair moved that the item be postponed to the next meeting because the previous Vice-Chair Councillor Houghton was interested in this role and was not present at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the election of the Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2025/2026 would be postponed to the next meeting.

Councillor Allen declared that his wife was employed as a Nurse at Solent Health NHS Trust.

Councillor Barbour declared that she was a Governor at the University Hospital Southampton and a Trustee of the Caraway Dementia Charity

Councillor Kenny declared that she was a Governor for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, a Community Champion for Mental Health, and a member of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The Panel noted the declarations of interest and considered that it did not present a conflict of interest in the items on the agenda.

RESOLVED that Councillors Allen, Barbour and Kenny would be involved the discussion of the items on the agenda.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 3 April 2025 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED: that the minutes for the Panel meeting on 3 April be approved and signed as a correct record.

The Panel considered the report of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust which outlined the Trust’s new five-year strategy for 2025 to 2030.

Alasdair Snell, Managing Director for the Southampton and South-West Hampshire Clinical Division, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Ron Sheilds, Chief Executive Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Joe Hannigan, former Mental Health Professional, member of the Trade Union Council and the Care and Health Integration Panel; and Councillor Finn, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

·  The importance of collaboration and partnership with local authorities to address health inequalities and improve service delivery.

·  The shifting focus from treating ill health to keeping people healthy.

·  The financial challenges requiring the rationalisation of the estate and investing in primary and preventative services to reduce the demand for acute care.

·  The need for effective communication with parents and carers, as well as the role of trade unions in facilitating staff engagement.

RESOLVED that the Panel would be kept informed on the delivery of the Trust’s Strategy, particularly with regards to progress addressing the financial challenges outlined and any substantial changes required following the publication of the NHS 10 Year Plan.

The Panel considered the report of the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust which requested that the Panel noted the reframed “fit for the future” framework and delivery plan.

Rebecca Southall – Chief Governance Officer, South Central Ambulance Service; was in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

·  The Board had undergone a substantial restructure which resulted in the removal of several positions and a guardian structure had been implemented to address ongoing stress and incidents of bullying and intimidation.

·  The plan going forward was to achieve cost efficiencies by rationalizing and reducing the number of digital system contracts, eliminating waste and building a better infrastructure.

·  There had been notable success in improving response times.

RESOLVED that the Panel would be kept updated on key milestones as the Ambulance Trust seeks to exit the Recovery Support Programme.

The Panel received and noted the report of the Director of Public Health which provided an update on the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Southampton.

Dr Debbie Chase, Director of Public Health, Southampton City Council; and Becky Wilkinson, Consultant in Public Health and Co-Director of Health Determinants Research Collaboration Southampton; were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

·  Work groups and community engagement groups had been established.

·  Collaboration with Democratic Services was ongoing to integrate health policies into the council’s constitution and governance processes.

·  Early successes included rapid evidence reviews, providing robust evidence for decision making; and the training of young researchers, which involved young people in effecting change.

·  There were challenges in managing expectations and misconceptions about the research team’s role.  The team provided a platform to support and initiate research efforts.

·  A learning needs assessment was being conducted to identify training and support needs for staff to improve decision making.

·  Collaboration with universities aimed to improve coordination and efficiency in research projects and enhanced the value of the research by linking it to service delivery.

The Panel received and noted the report of the Scrutiny Manager which enabled the Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel to monitor and track progress on recommendations made at previous meetings.