Welcome to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee webpages. I am Cllr Anna McNair-Scott Chairman of this Committee. Please use the other tabs for information on this committee's role in scrutinising National Health Service bodies that commission or provide services for the people of Hampshire.

The Membership of the Committee is listed here.

The Meeting Dates of the Committee are listed here.

When the Committee undertakes an indepth review into a topic, while the review is underway details will be provided under the ‘reviews in progress’ heading on the right. Details of reviews the Committee has previously undertaken are provided under ‘published reviews’. Once a review has been published the committee will monitor responses to any recommendations made, and any action taken as a result if deemed appropriate.

The Committee may also scrutinise topics in a different way, in which case the details will be provided under the ‘other scrutiny activity’ heading.

The papers for each committee meeting will also provide details of the work of the Committee. These are available online 5 working days before the meeting (see meeting dates page for details).

Local authorities that provide social services, such as Hampshire County Council, have a statutory duty to scrutinise NHS bodies that buy or provide healthcare for the people of Hampshire.  The Committee has powers to evaluate whether plans or decisions about health and healthcare reflect local needs, whether the NHS is providing an equitable level of care across the county, and whether proposals for major changes are reasonable.

The powers of the committee are based on the National Health Service Act 2006:

Section 242     Requires that the NHS involves and consults patients in:

• Planning service provision

• Developing and considering changes

• Making decisions about how services operate

Section 244     Requires that the NHS consults the Committee on substantial change or variation in the service provision.

The role and powers are re-iterated and amended in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 to take into account the role of Local Involvement Networks (LINks) in monitoring health and social care and in their power to refer issues to Overview and Scrutiny Committees:

Section 233     Builds on Section 242 of the National Health Service Act 2006 and provides the legislation for LINks to refer matters to Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Typically, the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

• undertakes reviews of health issues

• considers and responds to inquiries raised by Members, trusts, health bodies or LINks

• proposals by NHS bodies to develop or vary services

• responds, sometimes with other stakeholders, to national or other consultations

NHS

• Hospital Trusts

• Mental Health Trusts

• Primary Care Trusts

Local Authority

• Adult Social Care (possibly with the Safe and Healthy People Select Committee)

• Children’s Social Care (possibly with the Children’s and Young People’s Select Committee)

Note:  the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee may work jointly with other overview and scrutiny committees where NHS trusts outside Hampshire provide services to Hampshire patients, or where Hampshire trusts provide services to other areas, and there are issues of common concern or interest.