Issue - meetings

In December 2016, The Bristol City Council People Scrutiny Commission, North Somerset Health Scrutiny Committee and South Gloucestershire Health Scrutiny Committee held a meeting in common to consider the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (BNSSG STP). (The minutes of the meeting are attached for information purposes.)

Subsequently, a statutory Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) has been established for the purpose of jointly scrutinising the BNSSG STP.

This is the first meeting of JHOSC. 

To open the meeting the Joint Committee was asked to confirm the appointment of a Chair (from the host authority).

In response to Councillor Kent’s question, it was confirmed that joint Chairing arrangements existed, as set out in the Joint Committees Working Arrangements, meetings would usually be led by each authority on a rotating basis.

The Joint Committee RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Brenda Massey as Chair.

The Chair welcomed the attendees to the meeting and led introductions of the Councillors from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and asked health colleagues and local authority officers to introduce themselves.

The Chair confirmed that this was the first formal meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee which had been constituted for the purpose of scrutinising the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Sustainability Transformation Plan.

The Joint Committee NOTED the Minutes of the Meeting in Common, 1 December 2016, which had convened to discuss the Sustainability Transformation Plan.

In accordance with previously agreed arrangements, Councillor Brenda Massey would act as Chair for the duration of the Meeting and Councillor Toby Savage, Chair of the South Gloucestershire Health Scrutiny Committee and Councillor Roz Willis, Chair North Somerset Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel, acted as joint Vice-Chairs.

The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting and outlined the following procedural information:

·         The meeting had been arranged as a ‘meeting in common’ between the Bristol City Council People Scrutiny Commission, the North Somerset Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel and the South Gloucestershire Health Scrutiny Committee. 

·         The meeting has been arranged to consider the Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Sustainability and Transformation (STP) Plan.  This was an informal arrangement and each Committee remained independently constituted. 

·         It was not the remit or role of the meeting in common to accept or reject the STP.  The meeting had been arranged to receive the first iteration and to pave the way for further scrutiny and consultation. 

·         The People Scrutiny Commission would be responsible for the health scrutiny function in Bristol but the Neighbourhood Directorate has responsibility for Public Health.  Therefore the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Councillors were also invited to participate in the discussion. 

·         Colleagues from HealthWatch had been invited to attend and contribute to the meeting as expert witnesses.

The Chair welcomed Health colleagues in attendance. 

The Chair outlined the meeting approach:

·         Public Forum – questions, statements and petitions

·         Supplementary questions (if any)

·         Substantive item – presentation on the STP (aprox 20 mins) followed by questions from Councillors and expert witnesses.