Agenda item

A notice of motion other than those listed in Standing Order 19 must reach the Chief Executive ten clear days before the relevant Meeting of the Council.

Motions received

1.    Recycling and Waste Service.

2.    State pension arrangements.

3.    Bradwell Hospital.

(1)  Implementation of the new 2016 Recycling Service

A motion was received, proposed by Councillor Loades and seconded by Councillor Sweeney regarding the implementation of the new 2016 Recycling Service.  Subsequently an amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor Burch and seconded by Councillor Snell.

Members debated the motion and amendment and, following a vote in favour of a motion that the question be now put, a vote was taken on the amendment as set out below:

After "The Council notes..." delete all text and replace with.

"that the Leader of the Council, Portfolio Holder and Deputy Council Leader have made public apologies via the Reporter, the Sentinel and Radio Stoke to all residents affected by the changes to the new recycling system.

This Council further notes that the Leadership took swift and decisive action to deal with problems when they arose and ensured that problems were addressed as quickly as possible.

This Council recognised the Leadership's commitment to transparency and scrutiny by quickly establishing an independent report to investigate what went wrong and what lessons can be learnt.

This Council welcomes the news from the Leader that the independent report is now complete and will be published in its entirety and scrutinised by the Council's scrutiny committees.

The Council resolves that all recommendations from the independent report and the subsequent scrutiny process be submitted to the Cabinet for their consideration."

Resolved:      That the above amendment to the motion be carried.

(2)  State Pension Arrangements for Women born in the 1950s

The following motion was received, proposed by Councillor Wright, seconded by Councillor Rout, calling for fair transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s:

“This Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6^th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.

Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pension Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.

Many women born in the 1950’s are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment.

Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age that is in dispute – it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time.

The issue is that the rise in the women’s state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.

This Council requests that  our Leader write a letter calling upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6^th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”

Resolved:      That the above motion be carried.

(3)  Bradwell Hospital

The following motion was received, proposed by Councillor Jones, seconded by Councillor S. Hambleton regarding the proposed deregistering of 67 community care and rehabilitation beds at Bradwell Hospital:

This Council notes:

That North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group took the decision to reduce the funding available for the provision of community and step down rehabilitation beds in North Staffordshire. This has caused the University Hospital of North Midlands Trust to consider deregistering 67 community care and rehabilitation beds at Bradwell Hospital just before the usual winter ‘peak’. 

The closure of these wards would not only affected the overall provision of service in North Staffordshire but has also put at risk the jobs of many clinical staff employed by UHNM Trust and support staff employed by the Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust.

That information surrounding this closure was not made public until very late on in the process and no information was forthcoming to Newcastle Borough Council’s Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

That the fragmentation of the National Health Service under the Health & Social Care Act (2012) has meant that there is now a huge divide between those who are empowered to commission acute and non-acute health services and those within the NHS who are asked to deliver those service, leading to a failed internal market which puts cost ahead of care.

That Staffordshire County Council’s ‘Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee’ has voted to refer the decision, under the Health & Social Care Act (2012), to close the beds at Bradwell Hospital to the Secretary of State for Health for consideration.

That following a public campaign, the initial decision has been put back until December with a phased reduction in beds taking place.

That Staffordshire is recognised by the Government as being ‘a distressed Health economy’ in which demand for service is not routinely met and that the CCG is running a deficit budget.

This Council believes:

That the integration of Health and Social Care facilities is, in principle, an inherently good thing.

That the loss of 67 beds from Bradwell Hospital will only lead to greater ‘bed blocking’ of acute beds at the Royal Stoke Hospital leading, in turn, to longer stays in hospital than necessary, greater costs accrued by University Hospital of North Midlands Trust.

That the small window created by the phasing of the closures is a good opportunity for the CCG, SSOTP and UHNM Trust to stop, reflect and reconsider their decisions to close wards, deregister beds and make staff redundant.

That as a result of the referral to the Secretary of State for Health, under the Health & Social Care Act (2012), the 67 beds at Bradwell Hospital must remain commissioned until a decision on the referral is made.

That greater transparency in the decision making within the CCG is desperately needed to ensure that the people of North Staffordshire have the best possible health care provision.

That there must be a formal role for Newcastle Borough Council’s Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee in scrutinising decisions which have a disproportionate affect on the provision of service in our Borough.

That the Conservative Government should ensure that the NHS is adequately funded and that areas, such as Staffordshire, which requires further investment should be given that financial help as a matter of urgency.

This Council resolves:

To insist that, following the referral to the Secretary of State for Health, the 67 beds at Bradwell Hospital remain commissioned until a decision on the referral is made. 

To call upon the North Staffordshire Clinical Commission Group to restore the funding necessary to UHNM Trust to maintain Bradwell Hospital as a community hospital facility that is able to support patients back into their homes when ready, therefore alleviating pressure on the acute hospital and that this be communicated to the Chief Executive and the entire board of the CCG.

To congratulate the hard efforts of the ‘Hands off Bradwell’s Bed’ campaign to oppose the cuts imposed by the CCG and offer our solidarity with their campaign.

That the Leader of the Council, relevant portfolio holder and the Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee write to the Chief Officer raising their concerns that pertinent information regarding the closure of Bradwell Hospital beds was not shared in a timely or transparent fashion.

That the Leader of the Council, relevant portfolio holder and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee write to Secretary of State for Health in support of the referral Staffordshire County Council’s ‘Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee’.

The Leader of the Council write to the Borough’s four Members of Parliament and ask that they use their platform within the House of Commons to raise this issue with the Secretary of State for Health.

Resolved:      That the above motion be carried.