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Health and Social Security - Approved Panel Minutes - 23 November 2010

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Health, Social Security & Housing Scrutiny Panel

Record of meeting

Date: 23rd November 2010 Meeting No: 20

 

Present

Deputy G.P. Southern (Chairman) Connétable D. Mezbourian Connétable S. Yates

Apologies

Deputy D.J. De Sousa

In attendance

Mr. M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

 

1. Records of previous meetings

The  Panel  approved,  and  accordingly  signed,  the  minutes  of  its meetings on: 1st, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th November 2010.

 

Item 2 1.11.10

2. Matters arising

The Panel noted the update of actions raised from previous meetings and  noted  that  Professor  J.  Forder  was  still  available  to  undertake deskwork for the Panel to review the Long Term Care of the Elderly White Paper.

 

Item 4 1.11.10

517/8(8)

3. Dental Health Review

The Panel noted that an article in the Jersey Evening Post had berated its Dental Health Review Report. A local dentist had complained that Recommendation 14 in the report, which stated that the Minister for Health and Social Services must  establish an independent  statutory regulatory body to oversee the delivery of dentistry in Jersey', was incorrect as Jersey dentists were regulated by the British General Dental Council.

The Panel accepted that the word local' should have been drafted into the recommendation to make it perfectly clear. However, the text of the dental report made the situation very clear. The Chairman had drafted an email response to the Jersey Evening Post. The Panel further noted that despite the headlines in the article, the complainant agreed with the rest of the Panel's report.

 

Item  6 01.11.10

517/13(8)

4. Income Support: Review on Benefit Levels

The Panel received an oral report from the Chairman and received a draft of the heads of report.

The Panel noted that its Sub-Panel report was to be based on the reports submitted by the advisors. It was agreed that the report was to be completed by the 16th December 2010 and that in order to achieve that  extremely  tight  deadline,  the  structure  of  the  report  was  to  be agreed and not deviated from.

GS

 

The Panel agreed to the heads of report as presented. It was further agreed that officers were to commit their time to the drafting of the report and that the Chairman would work with them to achieve a final draft in time for the Panel meeting on 14h December 2010.

/CLQ /MR

Item  7 07.10.10

517/15(8)

5. CSR2 Review

The Panel discussed the recent hearings and agreed that they had been very worthwhile.

It was recognised that the Panel had committed to a follow up hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services on 13th December 2010 to discuss the progress of CSR1.

It was agreed that beyond that nothing further was to be done by the Panel  on  CSR  until  the  Review  on  Benefit  Levels  report  had  been completed.

 

Item  8 01.11.10

517/16

6. P125  Draft Health Insurance Fund (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Jersey) Law 201-

During the States meeting of 2nd November 2010, P.125 Draft Health Insurance  Fund  (Miscellaneous  Provisions)  (Jersey)  Law  201-  was debated and referred to Scrutiny under article 72 of Standing Orders. Following Private briefings a Private Hearing the Panel had decided to issue a statement to the States but not to undertake a review into the matter .

The Chairman had made the Statement which outlined the Panels view that no value would be added by delaying access to the necessary funding to deliver what was outlined in P.125/10. The Statement did however outline several areas of concern identified by the Panel.

 

Item 9 01.11.10

7. Overseas Patient Policy

The  Panel  welcomed  the  Assistant  Minister  for  Health  and  Social Services and the Assistant Director, Performance and Operations of Health and Social Services to its meeting.

The Panel went into private session during which the draft Overseas Patient Policy was discussed.

 

Item  3 07/10/10

517/5

8. Long Term care of the Elderly

The Panel discussed the recently released consultation White Paper on a  way  forward  for  funding  long  term  care  of  the  elderly  from  the Department of Social Security. It was noted that the consultation period was during the period of November and December 2010.

On the basis that Panel had previously agreed to comment on the aforesaid  White  Paper  it  approved  a  scoping  document,  terms  of reference and draft contract for the retention of Professor J. Forder an advisor who had undertaken deskwork on the previous Green Paper on the same subject and who was familiar with the local position.

The  contract  stated  that  the  advisor  would  have  up  to  six  days  to complete the work.

MR /CLQ

 

9. Written Questions

 

 

The Panel noted recent written States questions relevant to it's remit

 

 

10. Ministerial Decisions

The Panel noted recent Ministerial Decisions within its remit  

 

 

11. Questions to Ministers

The  Panel  noted that questions  without  notice  to  Ministers  on  30th November 2010 States sitting included the Minister for Social Security

 

 

12. Forthcoming Propositions

The Panel noted forthcoming propositions that were relevant to its remit.

 

 

15. Future meetings.

The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting was at 0930 on 14th December 2010 in the Le Capelain Room.

It also noted that it had planned a Hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services between 1200 and 1400 hours on Monday 13th December 2010 to discuss the CSR 1 savings.

MR /CLQ

MR /CLQ