Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Councillors R. Medwyn Hughes, Olaf Cai Larsen, Peter Read.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Councillor Eryl Jones-Williams declared a personal interest in Item 5 - Scrutiny Investigation Report: Supporting the Disabled People of Gwynedd - as his wife was a wheelchair user.

He was of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest, and he withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration.

No urgent items were received.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meetings of this committee held on the 6th June 2019 be signed as a true record.  (attached)

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 26 June 2019, as a true record.

Final report on the investigation will be presented by Bethan Richardson (Council Business Support Officer), on behalf of the Working Group Members.

Councillor Dewi Wyn Roberts left the Chair in order to submit the report as he was the chair of the Scrutiny Investigation. The vice-chair chaired this item.

Submitted – the final report of the Scrutiny Investigation: Supporting the Disabled People of Gwynedd (Wheelchair Service) by the chair of the investigation, Councillor Dewi Roberts. He noted that the investigation had lifted the veil on the wheelchair provision service of the National Health Service for north Wales. He added that the problems identified had been shared with the Health Service and that a response to the findings of the investigation had been received and included as an appendix to the report. In conclusion, he noted that improvements had already been made to the service, which included improved collaboration with occupational health officers. He thanked the Business Support Officer for her work and the Health Service for their cooperation. Questions and observations were invited from the Committee.

Shock and concern was expressed regarding the waiting lists for equipment and wheelchairs. In response, the chair of the investigation noted that a number of factors contributed towards waiting times. Among those factors was the waiting time period for an occupational therapist to visit people to undertake a home assessment. It was possible for the Council to offer support to undertake the work but effective communication would need to ensured should it be implemented.

Another factor that affected the time taken to provide wheelchairs was that the condition of the user could change in the period between the assessment and supplying the chair. It was emphasised that the service offered to paediatric patients took less time, and that this had been reflected in the performance statistics of the service. It was added that there was a strong possibility that the performance statistics of the service concealed a large number of informal complaints as only official complaints had been recorded.

It was noted that wheelchair provision was a specialist field and that serious issues could arise if wheelchairs did not fit properly. How was it possible to achieve performance targets without compromising on the standards of provision?

In response, the chair of the investigation noted that this was a question for the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board. The Business Support Officer added that the principal aim and findings of the investigation was to highlight the existence of a problem, and to hand over the reins to the committees of the Health Board in order to undertake further work.

RESOLVED:

To accept the Scrutiny Investigation Report: Supporting the Disabled People of Gwynedd (Wheelchair Service), and to submit its recommendations to the relevant Cabinet Members.

To monitor progress on the implementation of the recommendations after six months.