Background information
The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust runs Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, North Manchester General Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary. It also has services at Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale. For more information, see the Pennine Acute NHS Trust website.
It is the role of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to scrutinise the services provided by the Trust and to contribute to the development of policy. This is to help improve the health of the local population and reduce health inequalities.
The Joint Committee is made up of 3 Elected Members from each of the authorities that make up the Pennine Acute footprint - the area covered by the Trust. The relevant Councils are listed below:
Meetings of the Joint Committee are held on Tuesday afternoons at 2pm and are open to the public. The meeting dates for 2008/09 are as follows:
- 1 July 2008 in Bury (Lancashire Fusiliers)
- 9 September 2008 in Oldham (Lees Suite)
- 21 October 2008 in Rochdale (Committee Room 3)
- 2 December 2008 in Manchester (Committee Room 11)
- 13 January 2009 in Bury (Irwell Room)
- 24 February 2009 in Oldham (Lees Suite)
- 31 March 2009 in Rochdale (Committee Room 2)
Meeting papers for this committee can be accessed here.
Terms of reference
The Terms of Reference for the Joint Committee set out its role and responsibilites:
Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Terms of Reference.
The Joint Committee and the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have also agreed Working Principles. These Principles set out arrangements relating to administration, responsibilites and procedural matters:
Working Principles for the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
Work programme / Current projects
At the meeting of the Committee on 1 July 2008, the following was agreed:
- The Committee would continue its review of stroke services across the Trust to take account of the introduction of the new specialist network of stroke centres across Greater Manchester and the 2008 National Sentinel Stroke Audit. The 2008 Health Profiles show that early death from strokes across the Trust area is much higher than the average for England.
- The Working Group reviewing Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) would continue its review in view of the public's continuing concern about HAIs. Improving cleanliness and reducing HAIs is a national priority and a reduction in HAIs is a Corporate Objective for the Trust for 2008/9.
- On Completion of the two ongoing reviews the Committee would undertake a review of hospital nutrition, an area identified by the Committee in 2006. Other commitments have prevented this review being undertaken but it remains an area that the Committee have concerns about and wish to review.
Committee membership
A new joint committee is appointed in June at the start of each municipal year.
Municipal Year 2008/2009:
Chair - Councillor John Smith from Bury MBC,
Vice Chair - Councillor Linda Robinson from Rochdale MBC.
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council:
Councillors Denise Bigg, John Smith & Roy Walker.
Manchester City Council:
Councillors Hugh Barrett, Harold Lyons & Tony Parkinson.
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council:
Councillors Linda Dawson, Diane Williamson & Joy Wrigglesworth.
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council:
Councillors Janet Darnbrough, Brenda Kerslake & Linda Robinson.
For further information on the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and its work, please contact the Joint Health Scrutiny Officer on 0161 253 6728.
