Agenda and minutes

Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a record be kept of the Members present and that this record form part of the minutes of the meeting. Members who cannot attend a meeting should tender apologies to the Town Clerk.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor S Jones and from the local GP practices.

(i)         Under the Localism Act 2011 (sections 26-37 and Schedule 4) and in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members are required to declare any interests which are not currently entered in the Member’s Register of Interests or if he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it.

(ii)        Should any Member have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in an item on the agenda, the Member may not participate in consideration of that item unless a Dispensation has first been requested (in writing) and granted by the Council (see Dispensation Procedure).

Councillor D Bowater declared a personal interest as a member of the East London Foundation Trust and Councillor R Goodchild declared a personal interest as Chair of Salisbury House GP Practice Patient Participation Group.

No pecuniary declarations were made or dispensations requested.

To receive questions and statements from members of the public in respect of any item of business included in the agenda, as provided for in Standing Order No.s 3 (e)(f)(g) and 3(h).

There were no members of the public present.

(a)       To receive and approve as a correct record the minutes of the Health Services Task and Finish Group meeting held on 4 March 2022 (attached) in accordance with Standing Order 12.

(b)       To receive information updates on matters arising from the previous meeting (if appropriate).

(a)       The Task and Finish Group received the minutes of the Health Services Task and Finish Group meeting held on 4 March 2022.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Health Services Task and Finish Group meeting held 4 March 2022 be approved as a correct record and were signed accordingly.

(b)       Updates arising from the previous meeting:

33/HS (Integrated Care Hub for Leighton-Linslade): it was confirmed that letters had been sent to Central Bedfordshire Council and to BLMK Clinical Commissioning Group but no response received to date.

To receive and consider three information papers provided by Councillor Steve Owen and agree any next steps (attached). 

The Task and Finish Group had received three information papers from Councillor S Owen in advance of the meeting. The first provided a summary of the situation in respect of an integrated health hub. The second contained an exchange of correspondence between the Clinical Commissioning Group, Central Bedfordshire Council and Councillor Owen in respect of planning applications and requests for S106 developer contributions towards health facilities. The third was notes from a meeting held at Bassett Road GP Practice on 8 April 2022.

Councillor Owen gave an introduction in which he advised his understanding that the local GP practices were supportive of the concept of an integrated health hub as separate from a fourth GP surgery on the eastern urban extension. It was also understood that no dialogue had taken place between the GP practices (Primary Care Network) and the CCG/local authority on this matter.

Councillor Owen reported that S106 contributions had been sought on a number of planning applications and therefore there would be monies held for healthcare in Leighton-Linslade (although the details were unknown). It was also understood that Government funding streams had been accessed for the Dunstable and Biggleswade hubs and this ought to therefore also be available for the other three proposed hubs.  Finally, Councillor Owen questioned why there had still been no progression in terms of sharing information with the Town Council including the strategic outline case and the thinking regarding possible locations for a health hub.

Mr Selous advised he had received a letter from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities stating that £5.5m in developer contributions was available for allocation within the Central Bedfordshire local planning authority area. Central Bedfordshire Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement described this being available for healthcare provision generally, rather than GP practices specifically. It was Central Bedfordshire Council’s decision to allocate the funds appropriately.

Mr Selous also highlighted the imminent transition of BLMK CCG to an Integrated Care Board. This would become a legal organisation taking on the responsibilities of the CCG from 1 July 2022.   The new name would be the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Partnership.

The need for initiatives and services to support mental health and social isolation was repeated but that GPs were unable to access funding to run social prescribing activities. Mr Selous advised there were various funds councils could bid for but he was not aware of a specific fund for social prescribing activities.

The group agreed it was completely supportive of the provision of local services to save residents from having to travel elsewhere and it was hoped that at the next meeting, representatives of the local authority and the new BLMK HCP would be able to provide a more specific update in respect of local healthcare services. It was hoped that the next meeting, with all parties present, could take place in July/August.

Prior to this, it was suggested that an official Town Council report be presented to the Central Bedfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board (next meeting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.