Note of PCC Western Local Advisory Committee (LAC) Meeting

Date of meeting:7th December 2011 at 2.00pm

Venue:Conference Room, Hilltop

Present:Mrs Margaret Harte (Chair), Mrs Kathleen Adams, Mrs Maureen Andrew

Apologies:Mr Martin Reilly

In attendance:Mrs Fiona McCourt,Mrs Kitty Loughran

Agenda Item / Discussion Points / Agreed Action
Mrs Harte welcomed everyone to the eleventh meeting of the Western Local Advisory Committee.
Notes of Previous meeting – 19/10/11 / Notes of previous meeting were agreed.
Matters Arising from meeting held on 19/10/11 / Domiciliary Care: Mrs Harte informed members that the PCC are currently undertaking an extensive piece of work on Domiciliary Care.
Dermatology Services in the Western area: Mrs McCourt to make contact with Western Health and Social Care Trust to establish if a new consultant has been appointed and whether consultant led clinics resume in Omagh.
Direct Payments: Invite Helen Anderson to make a presentation on Direct Payments at a future meeting.
Transport: Members were made aware thatissues raised in relation totransport have been forwarded for inclusion in the Compton Review. The Compton report is expected next week.
Pharmacies:It was pointed out that the Health Minister had conceded there was a difference between Pharmacies attached to shopping centres and those in small rural areas. / Mrs McCourt
Mrs Loughran
Joint PCC Board Meeting/LAC Workshop – 22nd November 2011 / Mrs Harte briefed members on issues discussed at the joint Board meeting/LAC workshop e.g.Priorities for Action and the PCC work plan for the next 3 years.
WHSCT Board meetings – 3rd November & 1st December 2011 / Mrs Harte briefed members on issues discussed at the WHSCT meetings held on 3rd November and 1st December. A particular issue was the recent Trust proposal to use hospital patients’ funds to purchase art works for the new South West hospital. Due to widespread public concerns and associated media coverage, the Trust, at its meeting on the 1st December, decided to reverse this decision and to seek legal advice on this matter.
Mrs Harte intends to bring this issue to the attention of the PCC Board and to ascertain whether the PCC has a view on such use of hospital patients’ funds. / Mrs Harte
Update on Appendectomy study / Mrs McCourt updated members on the Appendectomy Study. She said she would provide further information at the next LAC meeting.
Mrs Andrew said she would be available to assist with interviews.
Update on LAC recruitment / Interviews took place on 7th December. Four applicants will be offered membership of the Local Advisory Committee.
Any other Business / Omagh people travelling to Altnagelvin for appointments: MrsAdams raised a concern about patients from Omagh having to travel to Altnagelvin for appointments when they could have been seen in Omagh.
Mrs Adams had been contacted by an individual in relation to this issue. She agreed to ask the person concerned to contact Maureen Gormley, Patient and Client Support Officer to take the issue forward.
Resignation: Mrs Adams informed the meeting that she was resigning from the Local Advisory Committee and this would be her last meeting.
Mrs Harte thanked Mrs Adams and expressed her appreciation for her contribution and dedication to the Western LAC since she had been appointed.
Items for Agenda at next meeting: Invite Mrs Gormley to do a short presentation on complaints at next meeting. / Mrs McCourt
Date of Next Meeting / Next meeting will take place on 15thFebruary 2012 at 2.00pm in Conference Room, Hilltop.

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