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Health Service Forum South East Minutes of a regular meeting of the Health Service Forum S.E. the Larkfield Centre 11 December 2007 These are draft Minutes, subject to confirmation at the next meeting
ContentsGuest Speaker - Kenryck Lloyd-Jones Location of exercise classes under the Physical Activity Programme: Report on Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board meeting 18 December 2007 WelcomePat Lally welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the guest speaker Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, Policy officer of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Guest Speaker - Kenryck Lloyd-JonesKenryck advised that new graduates in Physiotherapy enter the system at band 5 with a salary of approx £19,000. Advancement to band 9 is possible within two to four years. This is a skill-based promotion not time served and requires the individual to finance their further study and examinations. Health Boards have a limited budget and seem to be working on the basis that senior physios can attend to more patients but cost more. The short-term answer is to employ seniors at the expense of newly qualified. The long-term result is that seniors are being recruited UK wide and abroad to fill vacancies and newly qualified physios cannot find employment in Scotland. There is no shortage of people wanting to enter the profession. There does not seem to be link between the numbers being offered courses at University and the numbers being recruited by the NHS in Scotland and the number of physiotherapists approaching retirement by 2015. Private employers of physiotherapists are reluctant to employ a new graduate as the person is expected to work on their own and the company’s insurers are understandably unwilling to underwrite the risk. A copy of a letter written by the Society to the Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament was given to the Secretary. To quote ’The essential link between the demand and supply in health and education sectors needs to be established if workforce planning for physiotherapy is to have success.’ Questions were answered by Kenryck before Pat Lally thanked him for his presentation.
ApologiesMargaret Hinds, Aileen Fyfe, Irene Addie, Rhoda Ritchie, Dorothy Walls, Eric Canning, David Smith, Mary Hamilton, Janette Butler, Betty Milne, Mary McClelland, James Sandeman. MinutesMinutes of the 13 November were adopted as correct. There were no matters arising. CorrespondenceIN : a) Letter from Alan Seabourne, Project Officer for the New South Acute Hospital accepting our invitation to attend the meeting of the 12 February 2008. b) Letter from Christine Grahame, Convener of the Health & Sport Committee of the Scottish Government re high level of unemployment among new graduates of Physiotherapy. The Committee has a full programme of work and no plans to examine the situation regarding physiotherapists in particular. Our letter will be circulated to committee members and kept on file. It was suggested that we write to MSPs to pursue the matter in an individual capacity. c) Letter from Francis Santos on behalf of the Health Minister re the Agenda Papers for the GG&C Health Board meeting of the 23 Oct 2007. Questions were raised with the Health Board and an assurance given that the Board ‘welcomes all interest and attendance at their meetings and is committed to facilitate attendance of members of the public’. The Board also assured the Health Department that ‘it will continue to do all it can to ensure that all organizations and individuals who have requested hard copies of Board papers have their papers posted 4-5 days before the meeting.’ The final assurance that was given ‘The Board keeps the frequency of its meetings and Board business under review and there are occasions when additional Board meetings are added to this cycle.’
OUT; e-mail to Lisa Hughes of Citizens Advice Bureau confirming our invitation to attend our meeting on 8 January 2008 and talk about the Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS) Treasurer’s ReportThe Treasurer circulated a financial report showing a balance as at the 11 December of £2341.78. It was agreed to donate £50 towards the children’s Christmas Party at the Larkfield Centre.
Chris Drapper, Transport Projects Manager GG & C Health Board, sent the following information; Location of exercise classes under the Physical Activity Programme:Knightswood Community Centre, David Cargill Centre, Castlemilk Community Centre, Clydebank Playdrome, Balornock Community Centre, Tollcross Youth Centre, War Memorial Hall Bishopbriggs, Fred Payton Centre, Pollok Community Centre. Report on Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board meeting 18 December 2007The decision was taken to press ahead with the removal of unplanned admissions from the Vale of Leven Hospital. There will be no consultation process as there are no other viable options. Instead the Board plans extensive engagement meetings to improve their perception with the public in West Dunbartonshire and to allay their fears. The Herald reported on 19 December that Nicola Sturgeon has asked the Board ‘to explain why it has ignored the advice of an independent scrutiny panel’ Nicola has ‘asked the panel to reconvene urgently to consider whether there is any new or revised evidence on safety issues that would have led it to a different set of recommendations.’ There was a lengthy agenda of 30 items and by 1.15 pm not only our representative but members of the Board were unable to remain at the meeting either through exhaustion and or other commitments. The Forum has written to Nicola Sturgeon once again to complain about this. It seems very evident to us that there is sufficient business to merit a monthly meeting of the Board.
Date of next meetingTuesday 8 January 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN THE COMING YEAR
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