Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Interim Chief Executive detailing progress being made by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Julie Dawes (interim Chief Executive Officer) and Mark Morgan (Director of Operations) from Southern Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and John Richards (Chief Executive Officer, NHS Southampton City CCG) were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number matters and concerns including:

·  The Potential for the lifting of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) warning notice currently placed on the Trust;

o  It was reported that good progress against the targets set by the CQC had been made and that it was hoped and expected that the warning notice placed on the Trust would be lifted shortly.

·  Progress against the recommendations set out on the Mazars report;

o  It was reported that progress against these targets was largely on track and that where there had been difficulties specific actions plans had been developed and were being monitored on a weekly basis.

·  The changing nature of membership of the Board and Executive Team;

o  It was explained to the Panel that whilst there had obviously been very public changes to membership of the Board and the Executive there was a strong continuity of expertise and understanding of the Trust that would continue to drive forward the improvements required.

·  Progress against the identified weaknesses of the Board;

o  It was noted that the interim Chair of the Trust had stood down since the last Panel meeting.  It however, was reported that the Trust was on the verge of appointing a new Chair. The interim Chief Executive Officer also noted that despite the intense media pressure on the Trust there were marked improvements to the Trust overall. 

·  Performance against targets set for family involvement;

o  It was explained to the Panel that the targets for the involvement of families in investigations process involved a number of timescales that were quite tightly monitored and that whilst all investigations were being properly carried out some did not meet the deadline.  It was reported that the Trust were reviewing the processes involved in order to comply with the targets.

·  The potential future shape of the Trust;

o  It was report that the operational areas of the Trust would continue to reorganise along the lines set out by the previous Interim Chair of the Board and that this would see a reduction in the geographical size that the Trust would operate in.

·  The future of the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at Antelope House

o  It was reported that whilst the Trust continued to have challenges relating to the re-opening of Antelope House it was a continued aim that the facility would be re-opened in March of 2017. 

RESOLVED that the Panel would continue to review the performance of the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and the matter would be brought to a future meeting.