Joint Health Scrutiny Committees
Why are joint health scrutiny committees set up?
Local authority health scrutiny committees are required, under a direction from the Secretary of State [July 2003], to establish a Joint Health Scrutiny Committee to consider and respond to proposals for developments or variations to health services that affect more than one local authority area, and which are considered "substantial" by the health scrutiny committees, for those areas affected by the proposals.
South London and Maudsley NHS Trust - Review of Mental Health Services
Accordingly, a Joint Lambeth/Southwark Health Scrutiny committee was established to scrutinise South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Trust's formal proposals, in respect of crisis mental health services across the trust's boroughs of operation. In particular, the focus was on the Emergency Clinic located at the Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5. The trust's consultation proposals are set out (in Item 5a) in the reports for the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meeting on 20 December 2005, below.
The trust's formal consultation period ran from 29 November to 2005 to 17 March 2006, during which time the trust carried out its own consultation with stakeholders. During the formal consultation period the joint committee undertook its own scrutiny of both (a) the trust's proposals and (b) the adequacy of its consultation with scrutiny.
The joint committee produced a final report of its findings and recommendations, which was put to SLAM.
SLAM provided a response to the nine recommendations contained in the Joint Committee's final report. This was considered by the Joint Committee at their meeting of 27 June 2006. Shortly before this meeting SLAM notified the Joint Committee that their proposals for crisis mental health services had been altered. The Joint Committee examined the changes to the proposals at this meeting and deferred a decision on referring the issue to the Secretary of State for Health until their meeting of 15 August 2006. At that meeting the Joint Committee resolved to refer the issue of crisis mental health services in Lambeth and Southwark to the Secretary of State for Health. The formal referral letter was dated 16 August 2006.
Pan-London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Stroke and Trauma)
A pan-London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) was established in December 2009 to review the proposals set out by Healthcare for London in their consultation document 'The Shape of Things to Come: developing new, high quality major trauma and stroke services for London'.
The paper set out option proposals for the creation of specialist centres to treat stroke and major trauma patients in London.
Membership of the pan-London JHOSC comprised of one scrutiny member from each of the London boroughs. The then Chair of the Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Sub Committee represented Lambeth on the Joint Committee. The Committee invited expert witnesses from various statutory and voluntary organisations to comment on the proposals and respond to member's queries. Having gathered all the evidence, the Committee produced a joint response, on behalf of all of the London boroughs, to Healthcare for London in June 2009. In July 2009 The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCTs) issued a response to the JHOSC's final report, welcoming it's recommendations.
Meeting agendas, minutes and reports
See meeting agendas, minutes and reports for the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark Statutory Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.