Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals to formalise joint working arrangements with NELFT in accordance with the Section 75 Agreement of the National Health Service Act 2006

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services reported on the proposal to formalise joint working arrangements between the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) and the Council for the provision of integrated Mental Health Services in the Borough through a Section 75 Agreement under the National Health Service Act 2006.

The Cabinet Member advised that, given the current financial climate and the proposed reforms for the NHS generally, it was important that frontline services were not destabilised in any way.  Therefore, representatives from the two authorities had been working to ensure that the current joint working arrangements continued on a more formal footing under a Section 75 Agreement until March 2013.  It was noted that the agreement would provide the flexibility to negotiate and adjust the arrangements to meet the needs of residents within the scope of the pooled budget arrangements and that relevant Council employees would be seconded on a full-time basis to NELFT whilst still working to the Council’s terms and conditions of service.

Cabinet agreed to authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with and subject to the final approval of the Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services, to enter into an agreement with North East London Foundation Trust for the continued joint delivery of Mental Health Services as outlined in the report via the draft Section 75 Agreement attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Cabinet Member also reported that earlier in the day she had delivered the Council-led petition ‘Save Our Local Health Services’ to the Secretary of State for Health.  The Cabinet Member advised that the Council’s lobbying campaign that had been launched alongside the petition had already secured the immediate future of Broad Street Health Centre, progress continued to be made for a new health centre for East Dagenham and a new Primary Care Strategy would also determine the future of Extended Hours for residents to see their family doctor.

The Cabinet Member referred to the challenges that still remained, such as the need for improvements at Queen’s Hospital and the use of facilities, particularly the new maternity suite, at Barking Community Hospital which continued to stand empty, and undertook to keep Councillors and local residents informed of developments, including the Secretary of State’s formal response to the petition.