Public deserve to know about IJB
As public spectators at the recent Perth and Kinross Integrated Joint Board (IJB) social care meeting, we would like to express our astonishment regarding Linda Dunion’s (IJB chair) interpretation of events featured in the PA on March 30 [regarding the decision to close Beechgrove Care Home].
It was quite clear the vast majority of people who came out of March’s meeting felt a great sense of injustice and that ultimately democracy was the loser.
We feel it only fair that Perth citizens should have a greater understanding of how the IJB works.
The IJB voting membership board consists of four elected councillors and four nonexecutive NHS board members.
While the councillors are primarily there to represent the needs of the people who voted them in, the role of the NHS board members is less easier to fathom. This became all the more apparent at both January and March meetings as not one of the NHS members actually spoke or actively contributed towards the debate.
Although an initial consultation process was supposed to be carried out, this was scant at best, littered with errors and failed to interact with the wider Perth public.
All four councillors from cross party backgrounds visited the care home and met with those directly affected. The NHS board members however, didn’t engage with any of the residents or their families despite numerous requests.
Councillors McDade (Independent), Drysdale (SNP) and Reid (Conservative) completed their own thorough research and argued the case for keeping Beechgrove open with passion, backed with powerful empirical facts.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the NHS board members. Their silence was deafening throughout the process other than occasional procedural interjections by the chairperson. It is also worth noting, one NHS board member did vote for the deferral of the closure at January’s session, but subsequently did not attend the March meeting. No reason for absence was given.
As described in ‘The Healthy NHS Board’ 2013, NHS Leadership Academy, one of the roles of a non-executive board member is to “offer purposeful, constructive scrutiny and challenge.” Sadly, none of these attributes were visible from any of the NHS voting members throughout this case.
We would urge Perth and Kinross Council to reflect on this whole debacle and to think very carefully about how IJBs should operate in the future.
In this instance, we are in danger of losing what is widely regarded as an essential, high quality service for our elderly population.
Is it right that decisions of this magnitude should be determined by non-elected and seemingly non-engaged NHS board members?
Let the people of Perth decide. Mark Cant and Graeme Harris (On behalf of Beechgrove residents, carers and families)