Officers’ Meeting 14th January 2014

Notes of SHA Cymru Wales Officers Meeting January 14th 2014

Present: Alison Scouller, Philippa Ford, Tony Beddow

  

  1. Notes of last meeting – November 13th 2013 were agreed.

 

  1. Arising
  1. The revised draft paper on co-production and health choices had been re-drafted and some more positive feedback received. It was agreed that this would be signalled to the Minister’s office and, subject to any comment, would be issued with some publicity to encourage wider debate.
  2. Pip updated officers on the legislative programme. Social Services will be at stage 3 in February for new amendments only with stage 4 to come later. The Regulation of Providers and Workforce bill is in train but there has been no announcement of the Public Health bill.
  3. Programme for 2014: possible ideas were meetings to consider the new GP contract and the emerging SHA paper on primary care, a Spirit Level event possibly in the Assembly, and any follow up to the paper on Co-production . Agreed: Pip to chase the Spirit Level team.
  4. Noted: Reply from BBC to FOI request confirming that 422 BBC employees (in 2012) on Senior Management grades SM1 and SM2 benefited from the BBC’s private medical scheme at the BBC’s expense. Coverage is for the employee, partner and dependent living in the same household. This benefit was withdrawn in 2011 for new staff but remains for those previously covered.
  5. Possible campaign issues were considered; opposing and exposing the Tory attacks on the Welsh NHS were a high priority.

 

  1. National Council

The secretary outline areas of concern arising at national council. These arise in part from the changes being made in England and the options for reversing these after 2015.

 

Council had commenced major overhaul of the SHA’s governance arrangements which recent events showed to be deficient. Action intended to update the design of the web site had encountered some difficulty. The agenda for the forthcoming Council meeting would address Governance and Web site issues and a policy paper on Public Health based on work done by Dr Tony Jewell and Tony Beddow. The AGM would be on March 8th.

 

  1. Meeting with Mr David Sissling (Director: Health and Social care)

           The Chair reported on this meeting held immediately prior to the officers

meeting. The meeting was held to explore SHA concerns that the current

reconfiguration process was not being informed by a robust All

Wales system capacity plan.   It was felt that the Director had taken on

board some of the concerns outlined in the briefing note provided by the

SHA. officers were shown some of the work now in hand to predict

possible demands (and thus needed capacities). The Director welcomed

our continued involvement in this process and promised that contact

would be maintained after his departure.

 

  1. Treasurer report   The Treasurer reported a current balance of £582.39 once the invoice for Unison (AGM costs) were paid.

 

           Date of next officers meeting: 25th February 2014; 3-30 Sarne