Maidstone Borough Council
Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Appointment of Joint Health Sub Committee
Report of: Head of Change and Scrutiny
1. Introduction
1.1 Maidstone’s Overview and Scrutiny procedure rules include an agreed protocol for overview and scrutiny of local NHS bodies. It states that ‘the protocols are based on the principles that Overview and Scrutiny should minimise the additional administrative burdens on local authorities or NHS bodies.’ Furthermore, the protocol also states that District Councils should coordinate or have joint committees to consider local service issues to ensure cross-district issues are dealt with jointly. Having a joint health sub committee would therefore enable this.
1.2 The first item of the year would be to consider the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Draft Annual Quality Account Statement. The Committee could also consider carrying out review work where there was shared interest.
1.3 The Committee could choose not to form a joint health sub committee with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council; instead both Committees would hold separate meetings with NHS authorities. However this would be contrary to the agreed protocol to minimise the administrative burdens of Overview and Scrutiny on local NHS authorities.
2 Recommendation
2.1 That the Committee:
· Agrees to form a joint Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Health Sub Committee; and
· Nominates three representatives onto the Committee.