Committee for Health - Minutes of Proceedings 17 October 2024.pdf (168.61 kb)

Committee for Health

Minutes of Proceedings - 17 October 2024

Meeting Location: Gransha Suite, La Mon Hotel – NICON 2024

Present:                   

Liz Kimmins MLA (Chairperson)

Danny Donnelly MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Alan Chambers MLA

Diane Dodds MLA

Órlaithí Flynn MLA

Nuala McAllister MLA

Colin McGrath MLA

Alan Robinson MLA

Apologies: Linda Dillon MLA

In Attendance:

Keith McBride, Clerk

Roisin Donnelly, Assistant Clerk

Angela McParland, Assistant Clerk

Jonathan Lamont, Clerical Supervisor

Stephen McGlennon, Clerical Officer

The meeting commenced at 2.15pm in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies were received from Linda Dillon MLA.

2. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson thanked the NICON 2024 organisers, and the La Mon Hotel, for hosting the Committee meeting and stated that the conference had provided the Committee with an exceptional opportunity to engage with the health and social care sector over the past two days.

The Chairperson thanked those who had attended the Committee’s ‘Meet the Committee’ session.

The Chairperson noted that the Committee had attended the Department’s conference on ‘Health and Social Care Reform – Accelerating Change’, at the La Mon Hotel, on Wednesday 9 October. The conference had included discussions with Professor Rafael Bengoa, and members of the expert panel, who produced the report “Systems not Structures – Changing Health and Social Care”, in 2016. The Chairperson stated that there was a general consensus at the conference that ‘acceleration’ is indeed needed now to deliver reform of health and social care.

The Chairperson noted the Committee’s visit to the Houses of the Oireachtas, on Thursday 10 October, to meet with the Joint Committee on Health. The Committee also received a tour of the New Children’s Hospital. The Chairperson noted that the visit proved very informative for the Committee in terms of its priority on cross border co-operation.

The Chairperson advised Members that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that 18 October is the annual UK-wide ‘Wear it Pink’ awareness day. An information leaflet, from Breast Cancer Now, was provided to each Member.

Colin McGrath joined the meeting at 2.17pm

3. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 3 October 2024.

4. Matters Arising

The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee agreed to write to the Minister to meet with the Youth Assembly Health Committee, on their work on mental health in schools. The Chairperson advised Members that a meeting has now been arranged between the Minister and the Youth Assembly Committee.

Alan Robinson joined the meeting at 2.19pm

5. Health Reform Agenda – Oral Briefing from the Minister of Health

The following officials joined the meeting at 2.20pm:

Minister Mike Nesbitt, Department of Health (DoH); and

Peter May, Permanent Secretary, DoH.

The Minister and Permanent Secretary briefed the Committee on the Health Reform Agenda.

The briefing session was reported by Hansard.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the Minister and Permanent Secretary for their attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to receive further information on: surgical hubs and what capacity is available and at what capacity are they currently running; performance management accountability mechanisms newly introduced and what this entails; and Post-19 SEN legislation and the Minister’s intentions going forward on the issue.

Colin McGrath left the meeting at 3.42pm

6. Overview of NHS Confederation – Oral Briefing from the NHS Confederation

The following representative joined the meeting at 3.42pm:

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation.

The representative briefed the Committee on the NHS Confederation.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the representative for his attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to continue engagement with the NHS Confederation and to receive further information on data collated by the Confederation around best practice in reducing waiting lists.

7. Correspondence

  1. The Committee noted a Departmental response providing further information following the briefing on the draft Programme for Government on 12 September 2024.
  2. The Committee noted correspondence from the Department on a consultation on proposals for amendments to the Health and Social Care Pension Scheme and The Health and Social Care Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025.
  3. The Committee noted an invitation from Boots NI to visit the Boots Donegall Place store.
  4. The Committee considered correspondence from the British Association of Social Workers Northern Ireland (BASW NI) on key issues facing the social work profession.
    Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the information provided in its consideration of Children’s Services.
  5. The Committee considered an invite from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) to an event to celebrate Occupational Therapy week 2024, which will take place in the Atrium of the Mater Hospital, Belfast, on 6 November 2024.
    Agreed: The Committee agreed that Members will respond on an individual basis to the Trust.
  6. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Communities providing a copy of a letter sent to the Department on disability rights and representation.
  7. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
  8. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance on unfilled vacancies across the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
  9. The Committee noted correspondence from ROSA NI on its petition to overturn the ban on puberty blockers.
  10. The Committee considered an invite from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) to hold a meeting at its Boardroom in Newry, Monaghan Row, and visit community, elective care, and acute settings, at the Daisy Hill Hospital.
    Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider holding a meeting at the SHSCT Boardroom and visit Daisy Hill Hospital, as part of its Forward Work Programme.
  11. The Committee noted correspondence from an individual in regards to the BHSCT.
  12. The Committee noted correspondence from an individual regarding the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
  13. The Committee considered correspondence from the Northern Ireland Obesity Coalition which is made up of academia from the Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, and people with lived experience, asking the Committee to engage with it on a newly proposed Regional Obesity Management Service (ROMS).
    Agreed: The Committee agreed to receive a briefing from the Coalition, as part of its scrutiny of the Health Reform Agenda.
  14. The Committee considered correspondence from Versus Arthritis, asking to brief the Committee on how the current review of the Elective Care Framework provides an opportunity to introduce a commitment to improving the physical and mental wellbeing of people on long waiting lists.
    Agreed: The Committee agreed to receive a briefing from Versus Arthritis, as part of its scrutiny of access to health services and care pathways.

8. Any Other Business

The Committee considered recent press announcements, by the Minister, in regards to weight loss injections.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to receive detail of the Department’s engagement on this matter in regards to Barnett Consequentials, and how this may sit within the Obesity Strategy. The Department to also provide comment on the correspondence, received by the Committee, from the Northern Ireland Obesity Coalition on a Regional Obesity Management Service (ROMS).

9. Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered its draft Forward Work Programme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed the draft Forward Work Programme.

10. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee for Health is scheduled to take place at 2.00pm on 24 October 2024.

The meeting was adjourned at 4.20pm.

 

Liz Kimmins MLA

Chairperson, Committee for Health

24 October 2024