This Joint Committee has not met for a number of years and is not
currently formally constituted.
1.
These terms of reference together with the health
scrutiny code of practice for East Berkshire provide a framework
for carrying out joint health scrutiny work in East Berkshire under
powers to scrutinise the NHS contained in the Health and Social
Care Act 2001.
2.
The East Berkshire Joint Health OSC has been formed
by Bracknell Forest Council, Slough Borough Council and the Royal
Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead;
a To
look at strategic, regional, sub-regional or locality related
health issues or look at specific review as determined by the joint
health overview and scrutiny committee (working as a discretionary
committee).
b To
form a statutory Joint Health Scrutiny Committee
i.e. as required under law where the local authorities whose
residents are affected by a particular course of action by a NHS
body, consider the proposals to be ‘substantial’ and
wish to review the NHS decision/action or where the NHS body
requires it.
3.
The Committee will comprise of nine Councillors;
three members elected annually from each of the individual three
local authorities in East Berkshire. The three authorities have
agreed to waive the requirement for the committee as a whole to
have proportional political representation. However, each local
authority may decide whether to maintain political proportionality
for its seats on the committee or not.
4.
Appointments to the committee will be for a term of
office one year from the date of each authority’s annual
council meeting. Substitutes may attend meetings of the joint
committee as non-voting observers in order to familiarise
themselves with the issues under review.
5.
Once established the Joint Committee will meet
quarterly and rotate the venue for the meeting with the first and
last meeting being held in the premises of the authority from which
the Chairman is appointed for that year. Special meetings may be
called in addition to the quarterly meetings if the need arises.
The joint committee will meet in public and be advertised as such
in each authority area in accordance with the local government
acts.
6.
The Joint Committee may ask individuals to assist it
on a review by review basis. Independent professionals or those
with specialist knowledge may be requested to give their expert
advice to the joint committee during a review, without being
co-opted.
7.
The quorum for the main joint committee meetings
shall be 6, provided that each authority is represented or that
joint agreement is reached for one or two authorities to lead/act
for the joint committee.
8.
The Chairmanship of the joint committee will be
rotated annually between the three East Berkshire authorities. The
Joint Committee will appoint two vice-chairmen from each of the
other participating authorities.
9.
Officer support i.e. the administration of agendas
and minutes will follow annually with the rotation of the Chairman.
Please refer to the joint health scrutiny protocol for details of
the administration of specific reviews and the balance of
administration between health trusts and local
authorities.
10.
Health scrutiny reviews undertaken on specific
topics over a specific length of time, may be delegated to review
groups of the joint committee with membership of between 3 and 6
Councillors, and with at least 1 member from each authority. This
may be waived if an authority does not wish to take part, as the
review will not affect their area, and if the involvement of the
two remaining authorities is agreed.
11.
Each separate review must be accompanied by a pro
forma, covering the following items; description of the subject,
identification of the health bodies involved/leading the issue,
review group membership, issues to be addressed, officer support
and the evidence gathering process proposed.
12.
At the end of each review, a report must be produced
and signed off by the joint committee and considered by each
individual participating authority.
13.
The joint committee will also receive and consider
responses by NHS bodies to its reports and reviews as empowered
under the Act.
14.
The schedule of Joint Committee meetings may include
flexibility if required, for example; to give a break in the
timetable to allow individual authorities to evaluate responses to
the joint committee’s report and return with
comments
15.
The terms of reference and the working arrangements
for the joint health overview and scrutiny committee will be kept
under annual review and amended as necessary with the
committee’s agreement.