NHS Chairs minutes: January 2019
Minutes of the meeting of the NHS Chairs on 28 January 2019.
Attendees and apologies
Scottish Ministers
- Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
- Clare Haughey, Minister for Mental Health
- Joe FitzPatrick, Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing
Health Board chairs
- Martin Cheyne, NHS Ayrshire and Arran
- John Raine, NHS Borders
- Nicholas Morris, NHS Dumfries and Galloway
- Alex Linkston, NHS Forth Valley
- Lynda Lynch, NHS Grampian
- John Brown, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde/NHS Tayside
- Neena Mahal, NHS Lanarkshire
- Brian Houston, NHS Lothian
- Ian Kinniburgh, NHS Orkney
- Gary Robinson, NHS Shetland
- Ian Burgess, NHS Western Isles
- Susan Douglas-Scott, Golden Jubilee Foundation
- Carole Wilkinson, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Esther Roberton, NHS 24
- David Garbutt, NHS Education for Scotland
- Elizabeth Ireland, NHS National Services Scotland
- David Crichton, NHS Health Scotland
- Terry Currie, State Hospital
- Tom Steele, Scottish Ambulance Service
- Pam Whittle, Scottish Health Council
- Paul Edie, Care Inspectorate
Scottish Government officials
- Paul Gray, Director General for Health and Social Care for the Scottish Government and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland
- Shirley Rogers, Director of Health Workforce, Leadership and Service Transformation
- Donna Bell, Director of Mental Health
- Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer
- Fiona McQueen, Chief Nursing Officer
- John Connaghan, Co/Chair of Operational Performance Board
- Richard Foggo, Deputy Director of Primary Care
- Alan Morrison, Health Finance and Corporate Governance and Value
- Alison Taylor, Head of Integration Division
- Colin Brown, Head of Office of the Chief Executive NHS Scotland
- Robert Kirkwood, Office of the Chief Executive NHS Scotland
- Laurie Whyte, Office of the Chief Executive NHS Scotland
- Jack Downie, DPS/Cabinet Secretary Health and Sport
- James How, EU Withdrawal Team
- Jane Hamilton, EU Withdrawal Team
In attendance
- Chris Campbell, NHS Scotland Executive Support
Observers
- Alison Wright, Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow
- Elizabeth Crighton, Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow
- Laura Allyson, Project Lift Leadership Cubed Fellow
Apologies
- Tricia Marwick, NHS Fife
- David Alston, NHS Highland
- Christine McLaughlin, Director of Health Finance, Corporate Governance and Value
- Andrew Scott, Director of Population Health Improvement
- Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director
Items and actions
Welcome, apologies for absence and attendees
1. A list of those present and apologies is provided at Annex A.
2. The Cabinet Secretary welcomed Nicholas Morris, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Lynda Lynch, NHS Grampian and, Ian Burgess, NHS Western Isles to their first meeting since being appointed as NHS Board Chairs.
3. The Cabinet Secretary thanked Shirley Rogers, Director of Health Workforce, Leadership and Transformation for her work over the last few months as interim Director of Performance and welcomed John Connaghan to his first meeting since taking on the role of Co/Chair of the Operational Performance Board.
4. She then thanked Pam Whittle, Chair of the Scottish Health Council and member of the Board of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, for her commitment to the role and the improvements that she has made over the last 8 years. Pam Whittle stands down at the end of February 2019.
Minutes of the previous meeting
5. The minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2018 were approved.
Matters arising
6. The Cabinet Secretary highlighted the importance of providing a quick turn-around time on all Ministerial correspondence and asked Chairs to ensure that internal processes for dealing with requests for contributions from Scottish Government officials were in place.
Action: NHS Board Chairs to ensure that internal processes for dealing with official requests for contributions to Ministerial correspondence are in place to allow timely and accurate turn-around.
Ministerial remarks
7. The Cabinet Secretary updated Chairs on the following topics:
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
- Citizens’ Jury Recommendations
- publication of Atlas of Variation Maps
8. The Cabinet Secretary confirmed that a there will be an independent review of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital following recent events. She underlined the importance of widening public awareness during unexpected events to better inform them about what has happened and what the response has been. John Brown, Chair, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that the Board were reviewing their communications handling.
Action: NHS Board Chairs to seek assurance that proactive, responsive and timely communication arrangements are in place for dealing with unexpected events.
9. The recommendations from the Citizens’ Jury held in the autumn of 2018 will be published on 6 February 2019. Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer, explained that the purpose was to gain insight into how members of the public view and understand the principles of shared decision-making.
10. A detailed report of the jury process, including a full list of its recommendations, will be made available to Chairs following the launch event. The Cabinet Secretary asked that the recommendations be discussed as an agenda item at a future Chairs meeting.
Action: Secretariat to ensure that the report on the longer Jury process is shared with Chairs following the launch event and liaise with CMO to schedule a discussion at a future Chairs meeting.
11. Seven new ‘Atlas Maps of Variation’ are due to be published on the ISD website on 29th January 2019. The Cabinet Secretary asked Chairs to ensure that Medical Directors make use of these tools and work with clinicians to tackle unwarranted variation.
Action: NHS Board Chairs to ensure Medical Directors engage with clinicians to make use of the Atlas Maps of Variation.
Feedback from Chairs private meeting
12. Ian Kinniburgh, Chair of the NHS Board Chairs Group shared feedback from their morning meeting. This included:
- updates from Thematic Groups
- Health and Social Care Integration
13. The Chairs of each of the thematic groups gave a brief overview of progress made since the last meeting. All of the groups have now finalised their approach for work being taken forward.
14. The Cabinet Secretary asked for clarification around the timescales for implementation of the ‘Blueprint for Good Governance’. John Brown, Chair of the Corporate Governance Steering Group confirmed that all Boards will have assessed themselves against the ‘Blueprint’ and put in place an action plans to take forward the implementation of any improvements required by the end of March 2019.
Action: NHS Boards to assess themselves against the Blueprint and developed an action plan for implementation of any improvements required by the end of March 2019.
15. She also asked David Garbutt, Chair of the Workforce and Leadership Group, to confirm when she will have sight of the new ‘Educational and Governance Model’ to support leadership development of Board Chairs. David Garbutt confirmed that a proposal for a new ‘Educational and Governance Model’ to support leadership development of Board Chairs, would be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary by the end of May 2019.
Action: David Garbutt to submit proposal on new ‘Educational and Governance Model’ to support leadership development for Chairs by end of May 2019.
16. The Cabinet Secretary encouraged Chairs to ensure that the work of the thematic groups remains output focused with tangible outcomes that add value. She asked Brian Houston, Chair of the Reform and Innovation Group and Alex Linkston, Chair of the Performance and Integration Group to ensure that their work is co-ordinated with the quality improvement work being taken forward by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to support the spread of good practice across NHS Scotland.
Action: Brian Houston and Alex Linkston to ensure work of their thematic groups is linked to the quality improvement work being taken forward by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to encourage spread of good practice across NHS Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary standing items
Performance: progress against the Waiting Times Improvement Plan
NHSCH/18/19/07
17. John Connaghan gave an update on the work of the Operational Performance Board. He confirmed that an additional £26 million has now been invested in Boards to support tangible improvements by the end of March 2019. He asked NHS Board Chairs to ensure that they are up to date with progress being made within their own Board areas to reduce waiting times and how these improvements contribute to national figures.
Action: NHS Board Chairs to ensure that they understand the progress being made in their own Board areas to reduce waiting times and how it contributes to national figures.
Health and Social Care integration
NHSCH/18/19/08
18. Paul Gray, Director General Health and Social Care/Chief Executive NHS Scotland explained that he had a discussion with NHS Board Chairs at their morning meeting regarding the proposals of The Review Leadership Group. The proposals which were discussed at the meeting of the Ministerial Strategic Group (MSG) for Health and Community Care on 23 January 2019, can now be implemented. Paul Gray confirmed that The Review Group will continue to report to the MSG regularly.
19. The Cabinet Secretary noted her thanks to Alison Taylor, Head of Integration Division, Scottish Government for her work to date on progressing the integration of health and social care.
20. There was a discussion about the use of data to inform improvement and new pathways of care. Elizabeth Ireland, Chair of NHS National Services Scotland agreed to e-mail Tom Steele, Chair of Scottish Ambulance Service and John Connaghan, Co/Chair Operational Performance Board with contact details for Manira Amhad, Head of Local Intelligence Support at NHS National Services Scotland, who is leading work to provide data to Integration Joint Boards. The Cabinet Secretary asked Alex Linkston, Chair of Performance and Integration Group to ensure that the work he is taking forward is also aligned.
Actions:
- Elizabeth Ireland to email Tom Steele and John Connaghan with contact details for Manira Ahmad, Head of Local Intelligence Support, NHS National Services Scotland
- Alex Linkston to ensure that work of the Performance and Integration Group is aligned to the work being taken forward by Improvement Support Teams
EU withdrawal
NHSCH/18/19/06
(Shirley Rogers, Director of Health Workforce, Leadership and Service Transformation)
21. Shirley Rogers gave a verbal update on preparations that are underway for withdrawal from the EU.
22. The Scottish Government is working across Directorates to develop communications messages and Boards will be advised and involved once these have been agreed. In addition to the work of the Scottish Government, a dedicated Health Resilience Unit has now been established. The Cabinet Secretary reminded NHS Board Chairs that communications information was still developing and should be treated as confidential.
Any other business
23. The Cabinet Secretary thanked Paul Gray, Director General Health and Social Care/Chief Executive NHS Scotland for his support to NHS Board Chairs over the last 5 years, in particular for his commitment to the National Health Service, his pragmatic approach to handling difficult issues and for his focus on delivery.
Date and time of next meeting
24. The next NHS Chairs meeting will be on Monday 25 March 2019 at 13:00 in the Scottish Health Service Centre, Edinburgh.
Actions
- NHS Board Chairs to ensure that internal processes for dealing with official requests for contributions to Ministerial Correspondence are in place to allow timely and accurate turn-around.
- NHS Board Chairs to seek assurance that proactive, responsive and timely communication arrangements are in place for dealing with unexpected events.
- Secretariat to ensure that the report on the longer Jury process is shared with Chairs following the launch event and liaise with CMO to schedule for a future Chairs meeting.
- NHS Board Chairs to ensure Medical Directors engage with clinicians to make use of the Atlas Maps of Variation.
- NHS Boards to assess themselves against the Blueprint and developed an action plan for implementation of any improvements required by the end of March 2019.
- David Garbutt to submit proposal on new ‘Educational and Governance Model’ to support leadership development for Chairs by end of May 2019.
- Brian Houston and Alex Linkston to ensure work of their thematic groups is linked to the quality improvement work being taken forward by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to encourage spread of good practice across NHS Scotland.
- NHS Board Chairs to ensure they understand the progress being made in their own Board areas to reduce waiting times and how it contributes to national figures.
- Elizabeth Ireland to email Tom Steele and John Connaghan with contact details for Manira Ahmad, Head of Local Intelligence Support, NHS National Services Scotland who is leading work to provide data to IJBs.
- Alex Linkston to ensure that work of the Performance and Integration Group is aligned to the work being take forward by Improvement Support Teams.
Office of the Chief Executive for NHS Scotland
January 2019
Contact
Corporate Business Management: cbmt@gov.scot
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