Issue - meetings

Cllr Carpenter left the meeting during this item.

Ian Tompkins, Director of Communications and Engagement NEL STP, advised that the STP draft had been submitted in October and whilst some informal feedback had been received the formal feedback was still awaited. 

Work was being undertaken on building bridges both within the NHS and with its partners, included sharing networks and contracts.  It was noted that engagement work was being undertaken with Healthwatch during February. 

Ian explained that the Memorandum of Understanding was currently being circulated, with the aim of setting up shadow governance structures, together with proposed Terms of Reference, and aims. The hope was for the governance to be sorted out and in place in the next five weeks.

Constancy of service provision and good practice across the whole area would then be the aim. 

The Chair advised that there were some concerns and reticence to sign the Memorandum of Understanding as the local authorities were not being represented adequately and the local voice was not transparent.  The concern was that unless there was parity of esteem for all the member organisation, it would not be a true partnership.  The Councils would like to be asked who they wanted to represent them and not have that representative foisted upon them.  There was also concern at local level that any change of policy at a national level would be a threat to long-tern achievement and stability.  Ian Tompkins advised that there would be further discussion on the representation at the Sub-Board by local authorities. 

The Chair pointed out that the eight boroughs that had been put together for the NEL STP were not a natural fit, as they had completely different needs and challenges.

The Board:

(i)  Noted the update and presentation attached as Appendix A and Appendix B respectively to the report and noted the current discussions underway about Sustainability Transformation Plans (STP) governance, and the direction of travel for the STP.

(ii)   Raised concern about the lack of responsiveness to representations  sent by the Councils to the NEL STP team, and in particular, the continued absence of local authority representation on the NEL STP Board, the different needs and challenges faced by the eight boroughs selected and how local resident representation was being selected.