Dover District Shadow Health & Wellbeing Board

The future of health care, public health and social care is changing, with the Government's plans to reform the NHS.

Dover was one of the first districts councils to sign up to join a network of early implementer of health and wellbeing boards (to be in place in shadow from April 2012 - March 2013).

The arrangements are part of the Health and Social Care Bill to integrate health and social care. These new boards are not to be confused with the existing Dover Health and Wellbeing Partnership Group, which is focused on public health.

We have been working hard to understand the proposed changes and to ensure "local" input into planning the right services for the Dover district and our communities.

What is this all about?

On 19 January 2011 the Health and Social Care Bill was introduced to Parliament, to take forward areas of Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (July 2010). The Bill makes provisions for a number of key changes to the NHS in England, including the abolition of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities, and the introduction of Clinical Commissioning Groups for the commissioning of health services.

Please see our Briefing Page for background information on the proposed reforms. The Bill is now passing through parliament before becoming law and is therefore still subject to change.

The Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board has been agreed as a subcommittee of the Kent Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board. The Dover District Board will complement the County-wide Board and ensure the local views are fed into the overarching Kent strategy and that local issues are determined locally. Terms of Reference for the Dover District Board are being drafted and will be made available as soon as possible.

These Boards are to be in place, in shadow form, from April 2012 - March 2013.

Board Members

Potential partners on the Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board include:

Representatives of the Clinical Commissioning Group (x2)
DDC Members (x2)
KCC Member (x1)
Local Children’s Partnership representative (x1)
Adult Social Services representative (x1)
Shadow Clinical Accountable Officer (x1)
Locality Director (PCT Cluster) (x1)
District level Public Health representative (x1)
VCS representative - facilitated by CASE Kent (x1)
HealthWatch (x1)
There will be the opportunity to invite advisory professional expertise as necessary.

We are currently confirming the names of these representatives with the organisations concerned. The HealthWatch representative will be nominated once Healthwatch has been formally established.

Meetings

The Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board has not yet formally met as we are waiting to confirm the representatives of the Board and we are not yet in shadow form. However, an implementation meeting of the Dover District (Pre) Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board was held on 31 January 2012 to start discussing how to move forward.

Meeting dates are being confirmed and will be available shortly.

Members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board. You may remain present throughout the meeting, to observe only, except during the consideration of exempt or confidential items.

All meetings are subject to change; please check this page nearer the time of the meeting.

Meeting Notes

31 January 2012 (PDF)

Voluntary and Community Sector Engagement

The voluntary and community sector (VCS) has an important role to play in reducing health inequalities and helping to tackle the wider factors affecting health - therefore working with local groups is key. Over the past few months, we have been consulting local groups to share information and start discussing how the new Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board should best engage them in the proposals and how they would like to be represented in the future.

As a result of these meetings and on-line survey, we are pleased to announce there will be two seats available on the Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board. One will be for a VCS representative, facilitated by CASE Kent, and another will be for a Healthwatch representative, to be nominated once Healthwatch has been formally established.

For further information, please see the Dover District Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board Update (08 December 2011).

Have Your Say

Please send us your comments by email.

Kent Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board

Under the Health and Social Care Bill before Parliament, Health and Wellbeing Boards are to be established as formal committees of upper-tier local authorities (county councils).

As an early-implementer, Kent County Council has now constituted its shadow Health and Wellbeing Board as a full committee. The Board had its first meeting on 28 September 2011. - please see the agenda reports pack for details of this meeting which also includes draft Terms of Reference and Standing Orders.

Please see the Kent County Council website for details of future meetings.