Rec. 149 New practice Ensure members are provided Democratic Commencing with access to relevant Services February scrutiny supporting / additional 2014 Expert assistance: committees should be provided with information when presented with appropriate support to enable them reports / proposals from to carry out their scrutiny role, commissioners and providers to including easily accessible guidance help further develop effective and benchmarks. scrutiny. Strengthening existing training for Committee Members; to give confidence and knowledge on how to challenge information provided. Rec. 150 Strengthen Work with Local Healthwatch to 1.Democratic 1. Start and develop develop a mutually supportive Services discussions Inspection powers: scrutiny existing relationship which provides timely with committees should have powers to practice and relevant information for both Healthwatch inspect providers, rather than bodies through the use of the immediately. relying on local patient involvement Healthwatch Enter and View structures to carry out this role, or powers. should actively work with those structures to trigger follow up inspections where appropriate, rather than receiving reports without comment or suggestions for action. Rec. 246 Strengthen Consider a and finish” Committee to Committee to “task and develop approach to scrutinising the Quality determine determine Quality accounts: The Department existing Accounts. approach. approach at of Health / the NHS Commissioning practice next meeting. Board/ regulators should ensure Ensure Local Healthwatch is invited that provider organisations publish to be engaged in the scrutiny their annual quality accounts process. information in a common form to enable comparisons to be made Ensure Quality Accounts are cross Democratic between organisations, to include a referenced with information from Services with minimum of prescribed information CQC on compliance with Quality
Rec. 149 Expert assistance: scrutiny committees should be provided with appropriate support to enable them to carry out their scrutiny role, including easily accessible guidance and benchmarks. New practice Ensure members are provided with access to relevant supporting / additional information when presented with reports / proposals from commissioners and providers to help further develop effective scrutiny. Strengthening existing training for Committee Members; to give confidence and knowledge on how to challenge information provided. Democratic Services Commencing February 2014 Rec. 150 Inspection powers: scrutiny committees should have powers to inspect providers, rather than relying on local patient involvement structures to carry out this role, or should actively work with those structures to trigger follow up inspections where appropriate, rather than receiving reports without comment or suggestions for action. Strengthen and develop existing practice Work with Local Healthwatch to develop a mutually supportive relationship which provides timely and relevant information for both bodies through the use of the Healthwatch Enter and View powers. 1.Democratic Services 1. Start discussions with Healthwatch immediately. Rec. 246 Quality accounts: The Department of Health / the NHS Commissioning Board/ regulators should ensure that provider organisations publish their annual quality accounts information in a common form to enable comparisons to be made between organisations, to include a minimum of prescribed information Strengthen and develop existing practice Consider a “task and finish” approach to scrutinising the Quality Accounts. Ensure Local Healthwatch is invited to be engaged in the scrutiny process. Ensure Quality Accounts are cross referenced with information from CQC on compliance with Quality Committee to determine approach. Democratic Services with Committee to determine approach at next meeting.
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