Decision details

8.1  The chair welcomed the  health commissioners and providers :Cliff Bean, SLaM; Geraldine Walters, Director of Nursing & Midwifery and Jackie Green, Head of Stakeholder Relations, KCH; Alvin Kinch, Healthwatch; Sarah McClinton, Director of Adult Care, Southwark Council and Adrian Ward, Head of Performance, Southwark Council; Jill Webb Deputy Head of Primary Care (South London) NHS England and Andrew Bland and Tamsin Hooton, Director of Service Redesign, NHS Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG Primary and Community Care strategy). The scrutiny project manager conveyed apologies from Eileen Sills, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience, Guys and St Thomas. The chair invited representatives to provide a short presentation based on the papers circulated.

8.2  A member referred to the reference made to Winterbourne by Sarah McClinton and asked all providers what they did to identify risks in the system, for example staff turnover and levels of staffing. Geraldine Walters, KCH, explained that there are difficulties in assessing appropriate levels of staffing as it depends on the acuity of patients and is complex; she agreed that staff turnover could be useful. The member responded that baseline figures might be needed to assess staff levels.

8.3  A member noted that the representatives from hospitals on the safeguarding board are relatively junior and referred to previous concerns raised by the committee that there were no safeguarding complaints raised by hospitals last year, as reported in the annual safeguarding report. He added that detailed information about complaints would be helpful. Geraldine Walters, KCH, responded that the representatives from KCH on the safeguarding board are not at her level but they do know the detail and indicated that she would look into the concerns raised about the lack of safeguarding complaints.

8.4  Hospitals representatives’ reported that they do send reports on complaints to the CCG and these could be shared. Cliff Bean, SLaM, said the complaints detail is available; however there are issues around confidentiality.

8.5   A member asked about avenues for staff to raise concerns. Staff surveys were referred to. Members commented that there appears to be a bit of a gap between raising concerns and whistle-blowing.

8.6  Members asked Alvin Kinch from Healthwatch if they received complaints. She responded that people don't tend to give Healthwatch complaints - but that might be to do with how Healthwatch pose questions. She commented that Healthwatch work with ‘Voiceability’, and they provide complaints advocacy.

8.7  Tamsin Hooton referred to the integrated performance report. The chair commented that the committee does currently get a performance report but additional information would be helpful.

8.8  A member asked about monitoring of care home quality and officers commented that the council commissioned rather than delivered care home the day to day work was not as in depth. A member referred to the evidence in the Francis Inquiry that people were sitting on evidence, rather than sharing concerns.

RESOLVED

NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals will be asked for their protocols outlining how staff can raise concerns.

The sub-committee will finalise the report on the Francis Inquiry and circulate.