Agenda item

Minutes:

Members gave consideration to a report which followed a recommendation from the ProsperousCommunities Committeein July2018 requesting theCouncil to considerforming astrategic healthpartnership followingthe endof theHealth Commission inDecember lastyear.

 

Since thattime, Officersand Membersof theformer HealthCommission hadbeen workingtogether toidentify arole andassociated workplanfor astrategic healthpartnership. As a result of this work it had become increasingly apparentthat dueto thesuccess ofthe HealthCommission, the Council hadembraced theimportance ofhealth andwellbeing andthis had been incorporated into many strands of work. 

 

AppendixOne highlightedsome ofthe workbeing undertakenand howthis relatedto theseven strandsof theLincolnshire Healthand Wellbeing Strategy.

 

Thereport further advisedin detailsome ofthe keystrands ofwork thatthe Councilwas currently engaged in,but also acknowledgedthat therewas stilla clear rolefor Membersand Officersto lobby for improved health care provision.

 

Due to the positive work being undertaken across the organisation as a whole it had not been possible to establish a clear role for a strategic health partnership.

 

Debate ensued and some Members challenged the idea that the Group had met its original objectives and were of the view that the issues around health had actually grown. 

 

In response, Officers both acknowledged and did not dispute the statements made around access to services and over stretched budgets, however, it was not considered that a formal Strategic Health Partnership was the required vehicle by which to address such matters.

 

It was stressed that the Authority needed to focus on the areas where it could directly make an impact such as improved housing and planning, whilst at the same time making a focussed, targeted and concerted effort to lobby.

 

The original Health Commission had potentially been of a too broad remit however it had helped build relationships, raise the profile of health across the organisation and help Members and Officers understand where the gaps truly were, resulting in targeted lobbying. Health was more than GPs and doctors and issues in such areas were of such a scale that West Lindsey alone would not resolve these. The majority of Members were supportive of the approach and urged Officers and Members alike to “continue to bang the drum”.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(a)     the work currently being undertaken across the Authority be supported and it be agreed that a formal Strategic Health Partnership was not required at this time;

 

(b)     an update report on progress of health related work be submitted to the Committee in one year’s time;

 

(c)     subject to the appropriate governance being in place, specific health related task and finish groups be formed as and when these were appropriate; and

 

(d)     a Member representative be appointed by Full Council at its annual meeting to sit on the West Lindsey Dementia Action Alliance.

 

 

Note:         Councillors Trevor Young and Lesley Rollings requested that their vote against the above decision be recorded.

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