Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion have been received:

1.  Mental Health Challenge for Local Authorities

Proposed by Cllr L Shires, seconded by Cllr W Fredericks.

Launched in 2013, the mental health challenge for local authorities is an initiative led by Centre for Mental Health in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Young Minds.

The wide variety of services offered and delivered by local authorities enables them to have a key role in promoting wellbeing and improving mental health in local communities and for people of all ages.

The aim of the challenge is to encourage and support local leadership for mental health and wellbeing through the appointment of member champion(s) for mental health supported by a lead officer.

NNDC has identified Quality of Life as a priority in the forthcoming Corporate Plan. Signing  the mental health challenge will publicly demonstrate our commitment and role through direct service provision, multi-agency working and in supporting, enabling and influencing partners and communities to achieve outcomes that improve the physical, mental, social and economic health and wellbeing of residents and creating an environment in which communities flourish.

Appointing member champions for mental health will acknowledgement the importance of and highlight the challenges faced by people with mental health needs in our communities.

It is proposed that Cllr. Lucy Shires will become the member champion for mental health supported by Cllr Wendy Fredericks and the Health and Communities Manager as lead officer.

To accept and sign up to the mental health challenge, councils have to register at www.mentalhealthchallenge.org.uk

Once registered councils are asked to formally sign up to the mental health challenge (attached separately) and identify how they will proactively support and delivery of the challenge.

2.   Motor Neurone Disease Charter

Proposed by Cllr V Gay, seconded by Cllr E Spagnola

We propose that this Council adopt the Charter of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (attached)

North Norfolk District Council has been requested to give its formal support to those who suffer from Motor Neurone Disease by adopting the Charter of the Association.  The Charter is simply a statement of the care, support and consideration which those who suffer from Motor Neurone Disease and those who care for them should be entitled to expect.  There is no cure for motor neurone disease.

We hope that all members will join us in adopting the Charter.

3.   Ambulance Response Times

Proposed by Cllr S Butikofer, seconded by Cllr A Brown

This Council is increasingly concerned about the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s (EEAST), continued failure to meet their targets in responding to 75% of its most urgent calls within 8 minutes. See attached map for the ratings of our ambulance service against the rest of the UK.

The latest available figures I have, show that even the best performing areas across the District receive a response to their most urgent calls in 8 minutes only 35% of the time, whilst in the worst performing areas it is just 2%. This is simply not acceptable our residents need and deserve better.

Furthermore we know that Ambulance response times in Wells next the Sea are amongst the worst in the Country.

On top of this we also know that North Norfolk has the highest incidence of Stroke in the UK, how galling is it then to know that if we could get patients to hospital in Kings Lynn in a timely manner that they are in the top six hospital service providers for treating Strokes in the UK.

This Council acknowledges that the issue of ambulance performance is being monitored by the County Council’s Health and Care Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), but wants to see significant improvement in response times.  We cannot wait for others to push this issue forwards.

-          This Council therefore asks the Head of Paid Service to write to the CEO of EEAST asking what specific actions will be put in place so that response times improve significantly in the next six and then 12 months.

-          Additionally what steps are they taking to address the issues raised in their last CQC report.

-          This Council writes to the government Minister responsible and asks what steps government are taking to address the continued failings of the EEAST.

o   What steps are they taking to improve waiting times?

o   What the Government intend to do to address the shortages of vehicles and staffing in the Ambulance Service to alleviate the current problems in existence, and to make the Service efficient for the 21^st Century ensuring that it meets its required times

o   What the government intend to do to resolve the issue surrounding ambulances being delayed at hospitals and being unable to hand patients over for care in a timely manner.

-          This Council also requests that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee explores the option of creating a working group to track progress on this item and to engage with EEAST on an improvement programme.

The Council would like to pay tribute to the men and women of the Ambulance Service whose professionalism, dedication and selflessness have saved countless lives over the years. The ability to dial 999 in an emergency in the expectation of receiving urgent and expert medical help has long been one of the NHS’s treasures and must remain so for the future. This motion should in no way be a reflection on those personnel who work tirelessly day in day out for us all, and to whom we owe a huge vote of thanks.

The following notices of motion were received:

Mental Health Challenge for Local Authorities

The Motion was proposed by Cllr L Shires and seconded by Cllr W Fredericks.

Cllr L Shires stated that all Members had a collective and social responsibility to ensure that the Council strived for better mental throughout the communities of North Norfolk. Cllr W Fredericks added that she had been involved in developing the motion with officers, and felt that it would be a good step forward for the Council to approve the motion, to sign up to the mental health challenge and appoint Cllr L Shires as the Mental Health Champion.

RESOLVED

That Cllr L Shires becomes the Member Champion for Mental Health, and that the Council signs up to the Mental Health Challenge.

Motor Neurone Disease Charter

The motion was proposed by Cllr V Gay and seconded by Cllr A Brown.

Cllr V Gay reminded all Members of the public statement heard earlier in the meeting from the MND association representative. She stated that Motor Neurones Disease  was an exceptionally cruel illness, and that a former Member of the Council had lost their life to it some years ago. Cllr A Brown stated that he had no hesitation in supporting the motion, having had two family members suffer from the illness, and had witnessed his family support them with bravery. He noted the High Court appeal against sufferers’ rights to die, and suggested that approving the motion would provide the MND Association with greater backing and more support.

RESOLVED

That the Council adopt the Charter of the Motor Neurones Disease Association.

Ambulance Response Times

The motion was proposed by Cllr S Bütikofer and seconded by Cllr A Brown.

Cllr S Bütikofer stated that hearing the arrival of an ambulance was a very comforting sound for those in need, but at present waits of up to five hours could be expected in rural areas of the district. It was reported that North Norfolk also had one of the highest incidences of strokes in the UK, and that in order to effectively treat sufferers, action had to be taken within the ‘golden hour’. Cllr S Bütikofer then stated that to great frustration the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn was rated amongst the top six in the country for treating strokes, but this was of little use if ambulances were not available to get patients to the hospital in good time.

Cllr S Bütikofer stated for the record that she wanted to make clear that the motion was in no way aimed at, or intended to reflect upon the staff, who did their utmost to help people in North Norfolk. She then paid tribute to the staff, and stated that without their efforts, the situation would be far worse. 

Cllr N Dixon noted the request for the O&S Committee to establish a Working Group to track progress on the issue, and stated that the Committee had already raised the issue for its annual Work Programme, meaning that it would be considered in the coming months. He then stated that he would like to propose an amendment to the motion, on the basis that as well as response times, intervention was also crucial, and that whilst rural response times would always struggle compared with urban areas, improving intervention times could also help improve prospects. It was suggested that community first responders could be offered training to help with early intervention. Cllr N Dixon therefore proposed that voluntary community first responders be offered additional training and support in order to aid the ambulance service in North Norfolk, and Cllr D Baker seconded the motion. Cllr S Bütikofer thanked Cllr N Dixon for the helpful amendment, and asked that it be clarified that support as well as training be offered to the first responders. It was clarified that this was the intention of the amendment.

RESOLVED

1.    That Council request that voluntary community first responders be offered additional training and support in order to aid the ambulance service in North Norfolk.

2.    This Council therefore asks the Head of Paid Service to write to the CEO of EEAST asking what specific actions will be put in place so that response times improve significantly in the next six and then 12 months. Additionally what steps are they taking to address the issues raised in their last CQC report.

3.    This Council writes to the government Minister responsible and asks what steps government are taking to address the continued failings of the EEAST including:

·         What steps are they taking to improve waiting times?

·         What the Government intend to do to address the shortages of vehicles and staffing in the Ambulance Service to alleviate the current problems in existence, and to make the Service efficient for the 21st Century ensuring that it meets its required times

·         What the government intend to do to resolve the issue surrounding ambulances being delayed at hospitals and being unable to hand patients over for care in a timely manner.

4.    This Council also requests that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee explores the option of creating a working group to track progress on this item and to engage with EEAST on an improvement programme.