The Health and Communities Service Manager tabled a report from Cllr Searles regarding the 15 health related meetings he had attended since the last meeting on the Board.

Action 5: For the Health and Communities Services Officer to send an email to find out which Councillors sit on Patient Participation Group (PPG)  and a list to be to be compiled and request for notes of their meetings to be circulated to the Health Liaison Board.

Cllr. Davison informed Members that he had attended a Chair’s PPG meeting and would circulate the minutes when they were received. He advised Members that he had attended 9 health related meetings, and tabled extracts of the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) agenda and minutes.  He had also attended a meeting regarding patient transport where it was hoped that it would go to the CCG in the future.  It would be up for tender which was worth £2 million a year. He expressed concerns raised that voluntary groups within health were not mentioned.

The West Kent CCG had also discussed Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMH Services) which was also within the Sussex Partnership.  It was up to six months that children and adolescents were waiting to be seen.  The delays did not meet the contract.  Two updates from the Primary Care Support Services Transformation Programme were tabled.

Cllr. Davison advised Members that the Better Kent Care fund was discussed at the West Kent Health and Wellbeing Board, and there was a draft document for opinions.  Monies were being moved from existing funds into one fund to ensure better spending.  The money would be spent locally and the CCGs and Health and Wellbeing Boards would manage the money.  Services were being streamlined to work together and not separately to that there was a holistic approach.

Action 6: For the extracts of the CCG agenda, minutes and the Primary Care Support Services Transformation Programme updates be circulated.

Cllr Brookbank advised Members that the Kent County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) had limited powers.  Quality checking programmes were running throughout Kent with regard to hospital and acute services.  Maternity services came out well and HOSC had not had any reports of West Kent having any problems with maternity services.  Crowborough maternity ward had moved to Hastings.  Only 6 births from Sevenoaks took place at the Crowborough hospital last year.  The maternity unit at Pembury seemed to provide a very good service.

The Chairman advised Members that she was aware that there were general midwife and health care specialist shortages but there were not any problems in the West Kent area.  It was noted that cases of mothers who were suffering with obesity was increasing, and some specialist midwives were working with these women.

The Health and Communities Services Manager advised Members that obesity was an increasing problem and Sevenoaks District Council ran groups to help people to lose weight.

Action 7: For the Health and Communities Service Manager to speak on the increase of obesity.

There were concerns that there was not sufficient funding for volunteer transport services as health and CCG’s do not currently fund these services.  Lack of transport services for isolated or older people could have an adverse affect on health.  It was brought to Members attention that many volunteer transport services took people to hospital.