Support Arrangements. The Scrutiny Support Unit is the primary source of support for, and co-ordination of, the work of the Council’s Scrutiny Boards. In summary, the role of the Scrutiny Support Unit is to: • Provide a research and intelligence function to individual Scrutiny Boards (each of which has been allocated a different area of specialism) • Manage programmes of Inquiries for each of the Scrutiny Boards • Manage the presentation of witnesses, research and reports to Scrutiny Boards and/or carrying out research and reports “in house” as appropriate • Assist Scrutiny Boards to prepare reports of their Inquiries and steering recommendations through the Council’s decision making arrangements • Lead the continuing development of the Overview and Scrutiny function HEALTH SCRUTINY IN LEEDS Overview Health scrutiny in Leeds covers all aspects of health and health related services provided to the population of Leeds; this includes the planning, provision and operation of services2 commissioned and provided by NHS bodies and the local authority in Leeds. The primary aims of the health scrutiny function are to identify whether: • health services reflect the views and aspirations of local communities; • all sections of local communities have equal access to services; • all sections of local communities have an equal chance of a successful outcome from services; and, • any proposals for substantial service changes are reasonable. The Scrutiny Board will not manage the performance of NHS Trusts in the City, or provide another form of inspection. Such functions will be undertaken by other external bodies such as, the Commission for Quality Care, the Strategic Health Authority, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Commission for Health Improvement. However, it should be recognised that performance data will often usefully inform ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ inquiries and support the work of the Scrutiny Board in considering the delivery of the objectives of the Local Area Agreement (LAA). Health Scrutiny will be distinctive in being undertaken by lay, elected representatives and focussed on improving health and well being across Leeds. 2 This includes all internally and externally provided services that contribute to the overall health and well-being of the residents and working population of Leeds The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 gave a duty to all 150 local authorities in England with social services responsibilities, to enable the formation of a Local Involvement Network (LINk). LINks will act as the successor to local Patient and Public Involvement Forums (PPIF) but with an extended remit covering social care, and have been established to give communities a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Regulations that established the health scrutiny function3 state that Scrutiny Boards should take account of all relevant information available. Under provisions in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, this now includes information identified and provided by the LINk. As such, the relationship between the LINk and the Council’s Scrutiny Boards will be key. An important power of the LINk is the ability to refer relevant matters to the appropriate Scrutiny Board4. In turn, this places responsibility on the appropriate Scrutiny Board to acknowledge any such referrals and keep the LINk informed about the progress of any agreed actions. The process for dealing with such referrals is set out in a separate guidance note5. A separate guidance note is currently being produced that will set out a common understanding for how the Health Scrutiny Board will work with Leeds LINk. This will provide a framework for the scope and style of this relationship. In broad terms, the Health Scrutiny Board will not seek to duplicate the advocacy role of the LINk and, wherever possible, will seek to avoid any unnecessary duplication within its work programme. Work programme Although some matters may arise at short notice the Health Scrutiny Board will publish a forward work programme. The work programme will be considered and, where necessary, revised on a monthly basis. It will subsequently be widely circulate to all key stakeholders. Where the production of a specific report is requested and/or necessary for a particular Scrutiny Board meeting, then sufficient notice will be given for the preparation of that documentation. Information to be supplied to the Board The work of the Health Scrutiny Board will involve a combination of maintaining an overview of local health issues, including developing awareness of what health bodies are doing, and undertaking in-depth inquiries. To support the work of the Scrutiny Board, it is likely that members of the Board will require a range of information from NHS bodies, including: • minutes and reports from Trust Board meetings open to the Public;
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