Councillors chosen to join health committees
CALDERDALE councillors have agreed who will represent the borough on some key health committees.
Members of Calderdale Council’s Adults, Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board were asked to recommend councillor appointments to Calderdale and Kirklees Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, where the council has four members, and West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, where it has two.
Calderdale and Kirklees Joint Health Scrutiny Committee was established to consider the proposals for hospital reconfiguration in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield and has undertaken a substantial amount of work.
The current position is now its role is to scrutinise implementation of the changes and ensure they are consistent with the response of the Secretary of State to the hospital reconfiguration proposals.
The West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee has been established to scrutinise the work of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, considering other health issues that affect the West Yorkshire and Harrogate area.
As the White Paper “Integration and Innovation: Working Together to Improve Health and Social Care for All” will lead to legislation that will establish a statutory NHS body across West Yorkshire, which will take responsibility for commissioning some specialist NHS services across West Yorkshire, it is increasingly important, scrutiny board members heard.
Calderdale Council has two places on the West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.
Councillors agreed that Clr Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse), Clr Christine Prashad (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland), Clr Mike Barnes (Lab, Skircoat) and Clr Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) should serve on the Calderdale and Kirklees Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.
They further agreed that Clr Hutchinson, who has a medical background, will be their lead member.
Councillors further agreed that Clr Blagbrough, who is Chair of Calderdale Council’s Adults, Health and Social care Scrutiny Board, and Clr Hutchinson should represent the council on the West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.