Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will read the following announcement:

This meeting is to be webcast and the Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet and will be capable of subsequent repeated viewing, with copies of the recording being made available for those that request it.

By being present at this meeting, it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in your image becoming part of the broadcast.

You should be aware that this may infringe your human and data protection rights, and if you have any concerns then please speak to the Webcasting Officer.

Please could I also remind Members and Officers to activate their microphones before speaking.”

The Chairman reminded everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the Internet, and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Committee noted that Councillor R Bassett had been appointed as a substitute for Councillor I Hadley and Councillor D Stocker had been appointed as a substitute for Councillor P Stalker.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 November 2021.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2021 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To declare interests in any item on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a pecuniary or a non-pecuniary interest under the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members are requested to pay particular attention to paragraph (11) of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a non-pecuniary interest in any matter before Overview & Scrutiny which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub-Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub-Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a Member.

Paragraph (11) of the Code of Conduct does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an Overview & Scrutiny meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

(a)          Pursuant to the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct, Councillor R Bassett declared a non-pecuniary interest in the item on Princess Alexandra Hospital by virtue of being Chairman of the Trustees of the Epping Forest Community Transport.

(Democratic & Electoral Services Team Manager) To receive questions submitted by members of the public and any requests to address the Committee, in accordance with Article 6 (Overview and Scrutiny) of the Council’s Constitution.

(a)       Public Questions

Members of the public may ask questions of the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee at ordinary meetings of the Committee, in accordance with the procedure set out in the Constitution.

(b)       Requests to address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Any member of the public or a representative of another organisation may address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on any agenda item (except those dealt with in private session as exempt or confidential business), due to be considered at the meeting.

The Committee noted that no public questions or requests to address the meeting had been received.

The Executive Team will be attending the meeting regarding the development of the new hospital of the PAH NHS Trust and in respect of the Care Quality Commission report recently published (see report attached).

The Chairman introduced the Senior Executive team from Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust (PAHT) – Lance McCarthy (Chief Executive), Stephanie Lawton (Chief Operating Officer), Michael Meredith (Director of Strategy) and Jill Hogan (Communications (New Hospital)). The Committee received a joint presentation from L McCarthy, who covered the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report published on 17 November 2021, and M Meredith, who updated members about progress on the new hospital to be located in Sheering near the new M11 junction (7a) being constructed.

M Meredith recounted the huge amount of work that had been achieved over the last year and that the new hospital was one of eight, national ‘pathfinder projects’ in the Government’s new hospital programme. Extensive engagement had been carried out with staff, patient groups, stakeholders and through workshops. The Design brief was completed. PAHT had high ambitions on the strategies produced on net zero carbon, communications and engagement, procurement, facilities management, digital, and modern methods of construction. It was in the final stages of completing the land purchase so that planning and works preparation could be progressed. Further engagement on its website would be undertaken with the public and community groups on the final designs as well as briefing councillors in the district and finalising the transport strategy.

(a)          Progress on the new hospital development

A broad range of questions were received from the Committee, which M Meredith principally answered.

In terms of the hospital hierarchy, how far reaching were consultations with the workforce? When design of the core layout and fixture and fitting stages were reached, the clinical staff, chefs, porters and domestic staff would be consulted including the East of England ambulance service for their input. Providing the development went according to plan, there would be a new ambulance hub at the Sheering hospital site. Particular attention had also been given to the blue light entrance and exit from the hospital. Views on the innovative design were all-encompassing with feedback from GPs, local health officials and from across the world.

Would the same number of beds be kept or increased? Regarding acute bed numbers, 10% additional beds were being planned, based on detailed modelling, with assessment beds planned to increase from 27 to 76 and acute beds from around 420 to 470. An additional 20% of space was being planned that could be added later without impacting on the usual functioning of the new hospital, which was known as clinical adjacencies, and allowed for flexibility. There was obviously a fine balance to find on the business case to enable PAHT to get the funding it wanted. Key to this was that the clinical model was right and that there was a flow through the hospital, so beds were not being occupied by people who should not be in hospital.

Would there be staff accommodation on site? There would not be staff accommodation on the new site but as there was a housing development to the south of the site, and PAHT was trying to ensure adequate affordable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

To comment and make recommendations on the attached draft Market Policy.

The Chairman advised members that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda by officers prior to the meeting because a legal opinion was being sought regarding market authority status for Charter towns, which included Epping, Ongar and Waltham Abbey.

Exclusion

Democratic & Electoral Services Team Manager) To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Background Papers 

(Democratic & Electoral Services Team Manager) Article 17 - Access to Information, Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection for four years after the date of the meeting one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers.

The Committee noted that there was no business which necessitated the exclusion of the public and press from the meeting.