Minutes:
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5.1 |
RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Tony Damms and seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be altered by taking the urgent item of business (Notice of Motion Regarding “GP Services”), followed by item 7 (Notice of Motion Regarding “The City Centre”) as the next two items of business. |
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5.2 |
The Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) announced the proposal that an urgent item of business be considered at the meeting. Council Procedure Rule 26 states that “An item of business may be considered at a meeting of the Council as a matter of urgency, where it has not been possible to give five clear working days’ notice, on the recommendation of the Chair, but the reason for such urgency must be recorded in the minutes. Any non-confidential or non-exempt report relating to such item must be made available for public inspection once it has been issued.” |
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5.3 |
The Lord Mayor stated that a request had been received from Councillors Jack Scott and Ruth Milsom asking that the Council considers an additional Notice of Motion regarding GP Services. The reasons for urgency and explanation of why it was not possible to submit the Notice of Motion in accordance with the usual timescales, was:-
· General practice is coming under intense pressure and this is reaching crisis point in Sheffield as well as elsewhere; · A group of senior councillors met with senior general practitioners, Clinical Commissioning Group commissioners and the Director of Public Health on the evening of 30th June. At that meeting, the councillors were left in no doubt about the seriousness and urgency of the situation. The GPs were keen for support from the Council. In particular, to help the public understand the pressure on general practice at the moment. · As the meeting only took place on Wednesday 30th June, this did not allow for a Notice of Motion to be submitted within the usual timescale.
In view of the nature and timing of the issue, the Lord Mayor stated that she was satisfied that there were clear reasons for taking the Notice of Motion as an urgent item of business. She added that the urgent item will replace the Notice of Motion at item 8 on the agenda, regarding “Investing In Early Years”, which is to be withdrawn by the mover of the motion, Councillor Jayne Dunn. |
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5.4 |
The proposed Motion was circulated to all Members of the Council on 7th July 2021 and has been published on the Council’s website. Copies of the Motion, and proposed amendments to it, were available in the meeting room. |
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5.5 |
It was moved by Councillor Jack Scott, and seconded by Councillor Ruth Milsom, that this Council:- |
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(a) recognises that general practices across the country are at breaking point, putting the whole of the NHS at risk;
(b) believes that Primary Care is the ‘Bedrock of the NHS’, dealing with around 90% of patient contacts, and acknowledges that, currently, GPs and their teams are at the forefront of helping communities recover from the pandemic; caring for people whose mental and physical health has been affected by Covid 19; and leading the Vaccination programme; whilst at the same time, they are dealing with the backlog of people on waiting lists elsewhere in the NHS;
(c) notes that:-
(i) in 2016 the Conservative Government promised to increase GPs by 5,000 in 5 years but that the overall number of GPs has seen little growth since 2015;
(ii) the number of patients per practice is 22% higher than it was in 2015 but the GP workforce has not grown with this demand; there are now just 0.46 fully qualified GPs per 1,000 patients in England – significantly below the average number of physicians in comparable nations;
(iii) there is a growing backlog of care in the NHS; long waits for specialist treatment are skyrocketing and pressure on Accident and Emergency Departments is reaching pre-pandemic levels;
(iv) General practice and general practitioners are under pressure; a recent survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) showed high levels of mental health conditions and exhaustion; resignations from General Practice are also rising, and practices are shutting down at record rates; and
(v) it is becoming increasingly difficult to get GPs to practice in deprived areas; as a result, those communities who most need good primary care are least able to access it; and
(d) calls upon the Government and the Chief Executive of the NHS to take urgent measures to address this crisis, including:-
(i) delivering on previously unmet promises to increase the number of GPs by at least 5,000;
(ii) ensuring that incentives are in place to meet the primary care needs of communities with the greatest need;
(iii) reducing red tape and bureaucracy by exploring with the profession which regulatory and administrative tasks need to be kept and which don’t;
(iv) rebalancing the health system by encouraging better outreach work from secondary care; and
(v) increasing investment in community-based health-promoting activities to address the underlying causes of poor health. |
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5.6 |
Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Steve Ayris, and seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:- |
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1. the addition of new paragraphs (b) and (c) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraphs (b) to (d) as new paragraphs (d) to (f):-
(b) thanks those who work in the NHS for their commitment to their patients, often putting themselves at risk for the sake of others;
(c) congratulates NHS staff past and present on being awarded the George Cross for their courage, compassion and dedication;
2. the addition of a new sub-paragraph (e)(vi) as follows:-
(e)(vi)half of GP surgeries in England are considered by professionals to be unfit for purpose, and ill-equipped to meet future demand, while lack of expertise and capacity constraints have been highlighted as important barriers to GPs accessing infrastructure funding;
3. the addition of a new sub-paragraph (f)(vi) as follows:-
(f)(vi) fundamental reform of investment in the primary care estate, including action to address the barriers to accessing current capital funding streams; |
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5.7 |
It was then moved by Councillor Alexi Dimond, and seconded by Councillor Martin Phipps, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (g) as follows:- |
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(e) notes with concern that the US private health care company, Centene, is now the single largest provider of Primary Care in the NHS;
(f) opposes privatisation and outsourcing in the NHS and will write to the Government and Sheffield MPs urging them to support an NHS reinstatement bill; and
(g) notes with concern that administering and patient opt-out of the NHS “data grab” (requiring GPs to handover all their patients data to be pseudonymised) places yet another additional burden on GP practices when they need it least, and will urge the Government to scrap this data grab. |
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5.8 |
After contributions from three other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Jack Scott, the amendment moved by Councillor Steve Ayris was put to the vote and was carried. |
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5.8.1 |
(NOTE: Councillor Lewis Chinchen voted for parts 1 and 3 of the amendment and abstained from voting on part 2 of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.) |
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5.9 |
The amendment moved by Councillor Alexi Dimond was then put to the vote and was also carried. |
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5.9.1 |
(NOTE: Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Ann Woolhouse, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Richard Williams, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker, voted for paragraphs (e) and (g) and abstained from voting on paragraph (f) of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.) |
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5.10 |
The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:- |
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RESOLVED: That this Council:-
(a) recognises that general practices across the country are at breaking point, putting the whole of the NHS at risk;
(b) thanks those who work in the NHS for their commitment to their patients, often putting themselves at risk for the sake of others;
(c) congratulates NHS staff past and present on being awarded the George Cross for their courage, compassion and dedication;
(d) believes that Primary Care is the ‘Bedrock of the NHS’, dealing with around 90% of patient contacts, and acknowledges that, currently, GPs and their teams are at the forefront of helping communities recover from the pandemic; caring for people whose mental and physical health has been affected by Covid 19; and leading the Vaccination programme; whilst at the same time, they are dealing with the backlog of people on waiting lists elsewhere in the NHS;
(e) notes that:-
(i) in 2016 the Conservative Government promised to increase GPs by 5,000 in 5 years but that the overall number of GPs has seen little growth since 2015;
(ii) the number of patients per practice is 22% higher than it was in 2015 but the GP workforce has not grown with this demand; there are now just 0.46 fully qualified GPs per 1,000 patients in England – significantly below the average number of physicians in comparable nations;
(iii) there is a growing backlog of care in the NHS; long waits for specialist treatment are skyrocketing and pressure on Accident and Emergency Departments is reaching pre-pandemic levels;
(iv) general practice and general practitioners are under pressure; a recent survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) showed high levels of mental health conditions and exhaustion; resignations from General Practice are also rising, and practices are shutting down at record rates;
(v) it is becoming increasingly difficult to get GPs to practice in deprived areas; as a result, those communities who most need good primary care are least able to access it; and
(vi) half of GP surgeries in England are considered by professionals to be unfit for purpose, and ill-equipped to meet future demand, while lack of expertise and capacity constraints have been highlighted as important barriers to GPs accessing infrastructure funding;
(f) calls upon the Government and the Chief Executive of the NHS to take urgent measures to address this crisis, including:-
(i) delivering on previously unmet promises to increase the number of GPs by at least 5,000;
(ii) ensuring that incentives are in place to meet the primary care needs of communities with the greatest need;
(iii) reducing red tape and bureaucracy by exploring with the profession which regulatory and administrative tasks need to be kept and which don’t;
(iv) rebalancing the health system by encouraging better outreach work from secondary care;
(v) increasing investment in community-based health-promoting activities to address the underlying causes of poor health; and
(vi) fundamental reform of investment in the primary care estate, including action to address the barriers to accessing current capital funding streams;
(g) notes with concern that the US private health care company, Centene, is now the single largest provider of Primary Care in the NHS;
(h) opposes privatisation and outsourcing in the NHS and will write to the Government and Sheffield MPs urging them to support an NHS reinstatement bill; and
(i) notes with concern that administering and patient opt-out of the NHS “data grab” (requiring GPs to handover all their patients data to be pseudonymised) places yet another additional burden on GP practices when they need it least, and will urge the Government to scrap this data grab.
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5.10.1 |
The votes on the Substantive Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:- |
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For paragraphs (a), (d), (e), (f)(i) to (v), (g) and (i) (75) |
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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Ann Woolhouse, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Kaltum Rivers, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Ruth Milsom, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Alexi Dimond, Cate McDonald, Paul Turpin, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Christine Gilligan, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Anne Murphy, Kevin Oxley, Peter Garbutt, Maroof Raouf, Alison Teal, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Sophie Wilson, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Richard Williams, Julie Grocutt, Ben Curran, Bernard Little, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery, Ann Whitaker, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood. |
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Against paragraphs (a), (d), (e), (f)(i) to (v), (g) and (i) (0) |
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Nil |
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Abstained from voting on paragraphs (a), (d), (e), (f)(i) to (v), (g) and (i) (2) |
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The Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) and Councillor Lewis Chinchen. |
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For paragraphs (b), (c) and (f)(vi) (76) |
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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Ann Woolhouse, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Kaltum Rivers, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Ruth Milsom, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Alexi Dimond, Cate McDonald, Paul Turpin, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Christine Gilligan, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Anne Murphy, Kevin Oxley, Peter Garbutt, Maroof Raouf, Alison Teal, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Sophie Wilson, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Richard Williams, Lewis Chinchen, Julie Grocutt, Ben Curran, Bernard Little, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery, Ann Whitaker, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood. |
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Against paragraphs (b), (c) and (f)(vi) (0) |
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Nil |
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Abstained from voting on paragraphs (b), (c) and (f)(vi) (1) |
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The Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith). |
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For paragraph (h) (48) |
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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards) and Councillors Chris Rosling-Josephs, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Kaltum Rivers, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Ruth Milsom, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Alexi Dimond, Cate McDonald, Paul Turpin, Christine Gilligan, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Anne Murphy, Peter Garbutt, Maroof Raouf, Alison Teal, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Sophie Wilson, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Julie Grocutt, Ben Curran, Bernard Little, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood. |
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Against paragraph (h) (0) |
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Nil |
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Abstained from voting on paragraph (h) (29) |
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The Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton,Ann Woolhouse, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Richard Williams, Lewis Chinchen, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker. |
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