Meetings

Paper 2 – Forward work programme

4.1 The Committee agreed the forward work programme to the end of the summer term.

Paper 1 – Early priorities and forward work programme

8.1  The Committee considered and agreed its forward work programme.

10.1 The Committee noted its forward work programme.

1.1 The Committee agreed to scrutinise the Draft Wales Bill, particularly the impact the proposed reserved powers model may have on the fields of health and social care, at its meeting on 5 November 2015.

1.2 In order to accommodate other business demands, the Committee agreed to reschedule Stage 2 proceedings on the Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill to Wednesday 25 November.  This is subject to the Assembly’s agreement of the financial resolution which is scheduled for consideration in Plenary on 3 November.

1.1 Members agreed to invite the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales to a scrutiny session in January 2016. The purpose of the session would be to seek the Commissioner’s view on the progress made to date on implementing the recommendations of the Committee’s report on residential care for older people (December 2012) and the Commissioner’s subsequent care home review (November 2014).

1.1 Members noted the Committee’s outline forward work programme for the remainder of the 4^th Assembly, and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

1.2 The Committee agreed:

·         its approach to the focused piece of follow up work on its inquiry into the performance of Ambulance Services in Wales;

·         to make time in its programme to consider the draft Wales Bill, particularly the impact any reserved powers model might have on the devolution settlement as it relates to health and social care matters; and

·         to postpone its consideration of the Welsh Government’s draft budget 2016-17 until January 2016.

8.1 The Committee agreed its outline forward work programme from September to October 2015, and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

8.2 In light of the Minister for Health and Social Services indication that he intended to move a financial resolution for the Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill early in the autumn term, the Committee agreed to write to the Business Committee to request an extension to the deadline for the completion of Stage 2 proceedings.

8.3 The Committee discussed its forward work programme from November 2015 to March 2016, and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

10.1 The Committee noted the Business Committee’s decision in principle to refer the Bill to the Health and Social Care Committee for Stage 1 and Stage 2 scrutiny and agreed to write to the Business Committee to indicate that it had significant concerns about the proposed timetable and the pressure it would place on its workload.

10.2 The Committee also agreed to ask the Business Committee to extend the proposed deadline for Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill by two weeks to accommodate other work commitments.

6.1 The Members discussed the forward work programme.

6.2 The Committee agreed to schedule further evidence sessions on the Safe Nurse Staffing (Wales) Bill, including a session with Kirsty Williams the Member in charge of the Bill, on 19 March 2015.

6.3 The Committee agreed its approach to gathering oral evidence in relation to Stage 1 scrutiny of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Bill.

6.4 The Committee noted the outline forward work programme from April to July 2015, subject to further discussion of a request from the Minister for Health and Social Services to defer the summer general and financial scrutiny session to later in the year.

6.5 Members noted the outline work programme for the remainder of the Fourth Assembly, and agreed to defer a decision on their previously identified priorities.

9.1 The Committee considered the European Commission’s Work Programme 2015.

9.2 The Committee agreed to seek more information from the European Office regarding arrangements for sharing Committee reports with European institutions.  

8.1 The Committee noted the Business Committee’s decision in principle to refer the Bill to the Health and Social Care Committee for Stage 1 and Stage 2 scrutiny and agreed to write to the Business Committee to indicate that it had no significant concerns about the proposed timetable.

8.2 The Committee agreed to write to stakeholders about the introduction of the Bill.

2.4a The Committee noted the correspondence.

5.1 The Committee discussed the forward work programme and agreed to:

• seek a factual briefing from Welsh Government officials on the Independent Living Fund – future arrangements to support recipients in Wales consultation;
• write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to seek further information about health finances, in response to the Finance Committee’s recommendation in its report on the Welsh Government’s 2015-16 draft budget that the Health and Social Care Committee should undertake a piece of work on health reform; and
• undertake a short and focused piece of work on the GP workforce in Wales.

1.1 The Members discussed the forward work programme and agreed to return to this item at a later date

1.1 The Members discussed the forward work programme and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

5.4a The Committee noted the Committee’s outline forward work programme from January to March 2015.

1.1 The Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse. Members considered and agreed the terms of reference and the Committee’s approach to the inquiry.

1.1 The Members discussed the forward work programme and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

4.1 The Members discussed the forward work programme and agreed to return to this item at a later date.

8.2 The Committee noted the forward work programme for September to December 2014

6.1 The Committee discussed and agreed its forward work programme for the autumn term.

5.1 The Committee considered and agreed the approach to its inquiry into new psychoactive substances (“legal highs”).

4.1 The Committee considered and agreed the arrangements for the public consultation.

6.1 The Committee agreed to:

·         undertake an inquiry into legal highs in the autumn term. The Committee will consider its approach to the inquiry in due course;

·         invite the Older People's Commissioner to give evidence in the autumn term, particularly to discuss her review of residential care and her annual report;

·         invite the Chief Medical Officer to attend a general scrutiny session in the autumn term as part of the Committee’s programme of scrutiny of Wales’s Chief Health Professionals;

·         invite Government officials to provide a factual briefing on the regulations emanating from the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in the autumn term, once draft regulations are published;

·         raise, amongst other things, the following issues with the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Social Services during the scheduled general scrutiny session on 16 July:

o   the Auditor General for Wales' report on the management of chronic conditions;

o   GP recruitment, retention and training;

o   recent reports on cardiac surgery waiting times;

·         consider matters relating to NHS Wales’s complaints process, to be specifically informed by the Report on the Review of Concerns (Complaints) Handling within NHS Wales, led by Keith Evans, once the report is available.

3.1 The Committee agreed to scope potential inquiries into legal highs, addiction to prescription medication and fluoridation of water.

3.2 The Committee agreed its approach to its post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure.

3.3 The Committee discussed its forward work programme for autumn term 2014.

3.4 The Committee agreed the approach to its post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure.

3.5 In accordance with Standing Order 17.34(ii), the Committee voted on the following motion, proposed by Elin Jones AM, and accepted by the Chair without notice in accordance with Standing Order 17.44:

That the Health and Social Care Committee invite the Rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP to a committee meeting to give evidence and be scrutinised on the issues, themes and conclusions about NHS services in Wales arising as part of her work on NHS complaints in England for the UK Government.

3.5 The result of the vote was as follows:

3.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme for the autumn term 2014 and requested scoping papers on a selection of topics for consideration at a future meeting.

3.2 The Committee agreed to postpone the scheduled oral evidence session on its follow-up inquiry into the contribution of community pharmacy to health services with the Minister for Health and Social Services until the autumn term; date to be agreed.

2.1. Forward work programme for summer term 2014.

2.2. Letter from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to the Chair regarding the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill eligibility technical panel.

2.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme for April - July 2014.

2.2 The Committee agreed to invite Government officials to provide factual briefings, in public, on the forthcoming Public Health White Paper and the draft regulations on eligibility criteria emanating from the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill.

2.3 In accordance with Standing Order 17.34(ii), the Committee voted on the following motion, proposed by Elin Jones AM, and accepted by the Chair without notice in accordance with Standing Order 17.44:

That the Health and Social Care Committee allocate time at a future meeting to take evidence from the Rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP, if available, on her work in relation to NHS complaints in England and the evidence she has cited in relation to NHS complaints in Wales.

The result of the vote was as follows:

4.1. The Committee agreed terms of reference for both inquiries and agreed to issue calls for evidence in due course.

4.1 The Committee held an initial discussion on its strategic plan for the remainder of the Fourth Assembly.

4.2 The Committee agreed to scope inquires into the following areas for further consideration:

·         Orthodontic services

·         Cancer Care Delivery Plan

·         Prison healthcare

·         Paying for Care

·         Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure

·         Liver Disease Delivery Plan

·         Cardiac Care

·         Crohn’s disease/ colitis

4.3 The Committee committed to returning to previous inquiries to underake follow-up scrutiny work, prioritising the following subjects in the first instance:

·         Unscheduled Care: preparedness for winter 2013/14

·         Community Pharmacy

·         Stillbirth

·         Wheelchair Services

4.4 The Committee agreed to continue undertaking general scrutiny sessions with the Minister for Health and Social Services and Deputy Minister for Social Services, the Chief Health Professional Officers, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, and CSSIW.

4.5 The Committee also agreed to retain flexibility within the forward work programme to allow for consideration of legislation and any urgent or important issue that may arise during the remainder of the Fourth Assembly.

3d.1 The Committee noted the forward work programme for the 2014 spring term.

5.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme for January – April 2014 and agreed to the programme’s publication.

5.2 In accordance with Standing Order 17.34(ii), the Committee voted on the following motion, proposed by Darren Millar AM, and accepted by the Chair  without notice in accordance with Standing Order 17.44:

That the Health and Social Care Committee allocate time at a future meeting to scrutinise the Chief Executive and Chair of Hywel Dda Health Board, if available, on the provision of health services in its area.

The result of the vote was as follows:

8.1 The Committee considered a paper on committee remits. The Chair agreed to write to the Presiding Officer.

2.1 The Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry into the availability of bariatric surgery in Wales and agreed terms of reference for the inquiry.

2.2 The Committee agreed to undertake a public consultation; details of which will be made available shortly.

7.1 The Committee considered the proposed inquiry into addiction to prescription and over the counter medicines. Members agreed to postpone the start of the inquiry until work outlined in the Working Together to Reduce Harm (Substance Misuse) Delivery Plan 2013-15 - scheduled for delivery by March 2014 - is completed.

7.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme for the post-Christmas period.

7.2 The Committee agreed to undertake a short inquiry on addiction to prescription and over-the-counter medicines in new year 2014. The committee will consider a scoping paper for the inquiry at a future meeting.

7.3 The Committee agreed to invite the Chief Dental Officer to a future meeting to:

·         provide an update on the dental pilot project; and

·         explore the scope of a potential future inquiry on access to NHS dentistry.

3f.1 The Committee noted the forward work programme for the forthcoming autumn term.

5.1 The Committee discussed options and proposals for its post-Christmas forward work programme.

3.1 The Committee discussed and agreed its forward work programme for the autumn term.

1.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme.

HSC(4)-01-13 paper 8

11.3 The Committee noted the paper.

HSC(4)-30-12 paper 6

3.1 The Committee noted the paper.

3.2 The Committee agreed to seek time early in 2013 to meet with the National Clinical Forum, the Wales Deanery and other national organisations to continue its consideration of health board service reconfiguration plans.

HSC(4)-25-12 paper 2

2.1 The Committee agreed to undertake a short policy inquiry into a future strategy for diabetes in Wales in the autumn term, to be timetabled around its legislative and budgetary scrutiny commitments.

2.2 The Committee agreed that its next longer-term policy inquiry would focus on the appraisal of medical technology. The Committee agreed that the timing of oral evidence gathering for this inquiry would depend on the Committee’s programme of legislative scrutiny.

2.3 The Committee requested that draft terms of reference for both policy inquiries are prepared by the secretariat so that public consultations can be run over the summer recess.

2.4 The Committee agreed to schedule a session with the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales to discuss her annual report in the autumn term.

HSC(4)-17-12 paper 4

3.2 The Committee noted the paper on the forward work programme for summer 2012.

HSC(4)-15-12 paper 10

4.1 The Committee discussed the forward work programme and agreed to undertake further discussions at a future meeting.

HSC(4)-12-12 paper 3

3.2 The Committee noted the paper.

HSC(4)-11-12 paper 12

6.2 The Committee noted the paper on residential care for the elderly in EU member states.

HSC(4)-08-12 paper 10

4.2 The Committee noted the paper on the modernising professional qualifications directive.

HSC(4)-08-12 paper 9

4.1 The Committee noted the paper on patients’ rights to cross-border healthcare in the EU.

HSC(4)-05-12 paper 6

HSC(4)-05-12 paper 1

3.1 The Committee discussed its forward work programme. The Committee agreed, following its informal seminar on access to medicines, to scope a short inquiry into access to treatments in Wales. 

3.2 The Committee agreed not to schedule business for a fourth ‘one-off’ evidence session. This is to allow sufficient flexibility in the forward work programme for the Committee to react to issues that may arise.

3.3 The Committee agreed to re-visit its work programme ahead of the Easter recess.

HSC(4)-04-12 paper 3

4.1 The Committee discussed topics for four ‘one-off’ evidence sessions for the spring and summer terms.

4.2 The Committee agreed to pursue one-day inquiries in relation to the following topics:

·         Wheelchair waiting times in Wales: follow-up work on the recommendations made by the Third Assembly’s Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee’s Report on Wheelchair Services in Wales;

·         Venous thrombo-embolism prevention; and

·         Reduced fetal movements and still births in Wales.

4.3 The Committee agreed:

·         to re-visit the topic for their fourth session at a later date, deciding between co-responder services, access to medicines or orthopaedic waiting times;

·         to await the report of the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee’s on-going inquiry into post-traumatic stress disorder before undertaking work on this topic; and

·         that the subject of health inequalities would require longer than one day for consideration and, as such, should be placed on the list of possible future inquiry topics.

HSC(4)-03-12 paper 2 - Update on EU policy issues relevant to the Health & Social Care Committee (This paper was originally considered by the Committee on 8 December 2011)

HSC(4)-03-12 paper 3 – EU legislation relating to health inequalities

HSC(4)-03-12 paper 4 – EU drugs approval process

HSC(4)-03-12 paper 5 - Models of ownership for residential care for the elderly in EU member states

4.1 The Committee agreed that its main pursuit of EU matters for the spring and summer term should be through comparative work for the inquiry on residential care for older people.

4.2The Committee requested further information on EU models of residential care, including not for profit models used in other countries and any information gained by the Welsh Local Government Association through the twinning of local authorities in Wales with European counterparts.

4.3 The Committee requested further information on the health strategy, the Professional Qualifications Directive and cross-border access to healthcare.

HSC(4)-13-11 paper 1

          Gregg Jones, Research Service (by video link)

2.1 The Committee discussed the paper with Gregg Jones from the Research Service.

2.2 The Committee requested further information on health inequalities including any forthcoming legislation, the approval of drugs throughout the EU, and models of care for the elderly in EU countries.

2.3 The Committee agreed to consider EU policy issues again as part of a wider discussion on its future work programme.

HSC(4)-10-11 paper 1

2.1 The Committee noted the paper and considered its general approach to the consideration of legislation.

2.2 In relation to the white paper on organ donation, the Committee agreed to seek to hold 2 sessions with senior Welsh Government officials, firstly at a very early stage of the consultation process and again once the consultation had closed. The purpose of these sessions would be to keep abreast of developments with the white paper as opposed to expressing a view on its content.

HSC(4)-03-11 paper 6

7.1 The Committee noted the paper and agreed that the forward work programme should be published at regular intervals.

HSC(4)-03-11 paper 5

6.1 The Committee noted the letter from the Chair of the Children and Young People on its inquiry into children’s oral health.

3.1 The Committee discussed possible topics for a short, focused inquiry to launch over the summer recess.

3.2 It was agreed that the Committee would launch two inquiries:

·         The contribution of community pharmacy to health services in Wales; and

·         Stroke risk reduction.

3.3 Draft terms of reference for both inquiries would be circulated to Members by e-mail for approval, so consultation could begin over the summer.

3.4 The Research Service would prepare a scoping paper on residential care for consideration in the autumn as a potential longer term inquiry.

3.1 The Committee agreed that it would invite the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services to attend the meeting on 13 July to provide an overview of their portfolios and priorities.  They would then be invited to attend a more detailed scrutiny session at the start of the autumn term.

3.2 The Committee agreed that it would launch an inquiry before the summer recess, and the Research Service would provide a paper for the next meeting, scoping potential inquiries. This paper would be based on the topics suggested by Members and the recommendations of legacy reports published by Third Assembly committees.

3.3 The Committee would consider its longer term work programme in the autumn, when the Government’s legislative programme had been announced.

2.1 The Committee noted its dual legislative and policy scrutiny role and noted the Business Committee’s decision to allocate one and a half days every fortnight to the Committee to schedule its activity.

2.2 The Committee agreed to consult with external bodies over the summer recess on its ways of working and possible future inquiry topics.