Agenda and minutes

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The Chair announced to those present that the meeting would be livestreamed.

The evacuation procedure was noted.

There were no interests declared.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 19 May 2026.

Consideration was given to the minutes from the Committee meeting held on 19 May 2026, with specific attention drawn to the following item:

·       North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust – Quality Account 2025-2026: Members asked whether any further information had been provided by University Hospitals Tees (UHT) in relation to the possible addition of a DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scanner to the local Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Stockton, as well as the requested performance data on cancer-related targets.  It was confirmed that no correspondence had been received since the last Committee meeting in May 2026, but that UHT did provide additional cancer-related performance information at the subsequent Tees Valley Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meeting in early-June 2026 during a similar Quality Account presentation – this would be re-circulated to Members, and UHT would be contacted for a response to the DEXA scanner query.

AGREED that the minutes of the meeting on 19 May 2026 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Consideration was given to the latest quarterly summary regarding Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections for services operating within the Borough (Appendix 1).  Eight inspection reports were published during this period (January to March 2026 (inclusive)), with attention drawn to the following Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) contracted providers:

Providers rated ‘Good’ overall (2)

·       Stockton Lodge Care Home retained its ‘Good’ overall rating which it last attained during a previous focused inspection (the outcomes of which were published in September 2022).

·       Partners4Care Limited, a care at home / supported living provider, had its overall rating upgraded to ‘Good’.  A previous focused inspection (the outcomes of which were published in June 2023) deemed that the service required improvement, but all five CQC domains were now judged ‘Good’.

The remaining six reports involved four primary medical care services and two hospital / other health care services.  Regarding the former category, Riverside Medical Practice and The Densham Surgery maintained an overall rating of ‘Good’ (though improvements were required at Riverside in relation to safe care and treatment following identification of a breach of regulation), whilst McCormick & Harrington Limited (also known as Billingham Dental) was meeting regulations in all five inspection domains.  However, Norton Medical Centre remained ‘Requires Improvement’ (repeating its overall rating from its previous inspection, the outcomes of which were published in March 2025) following two identified breaches of regulation with regard to safe care and treatment, good governance, and fit and proper persons employed – this saw the ‘safe’ and ‘responsive’ domains graded ‘Requires Improvement’ and the ‘well-led’ domain deemed ‘Inadequate’.  For the latter category, Stockton Dialysis Clinic (based within the University Hospital of North Tees) was judged ‘Good’ overall and across all five inspection domains, but HQ (an ambulance service provided by Direct Medical Transport Limited) received an overall rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ following its first ever inspection – this included an ‘Inadequate’ grading for the ‘well-led’ domain.

Focus turned to the section on Provider Assessment and Market Management Solutions (PAMMS) inspections (Appendix 2), of which there were twelve reports published during this period (January to March 2026 (inclusive)):

·       Woodside Grange Care Home, Wellburn House, Victoria House Nursing Home, Cherry Tree Care Centre, Willow View Care Home, and Allison House all maintained an overall rating of ‘Good’ – the same grading all six services achieved following their previous inspections.  Wellburn House saw improvements in the ‘quality of management’ domain, Victoria House in the ‘safeguarding and safety’ domain, and Allison House in the ‘suitability of staffing’ domain.  However, shortfalls were identified at Willow View in terms of ‘suitability of staffing’ (which had been downgraded from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’).

·       CEL Homecare Teesside, Parkside Court and Aspen Gardens received a ‘Good’ overall rating after being inspected for the first time, though all three required improvements within the ‘suitability of staffing’ domain.  Vestra Homecare Hartlepool, which provided services within Stockton-on-Tees, was also graded ‘Good’ overall (and across all five PAMMS domains) following its first inspection.

·       Roseville Care  ...  view the full minutes text for item ASCH/21/25

The Committee was presented with the PAMMS Annual Report 2025-2026.  Summarised by the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Quality Assurance and Compliance (QuAC) Manager, key content was relayed as follows:

·       The Provider Assessment and Market Management Solutions (PAMMS) was an online assessment tool developed in collaboration with Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) East and regional Local Authorities.  It was designed to assist users in assessing the quality of care delivered by providers.  The assessment was a requirement of the Framework Agreement (the ‘Contract’) with providers, and they were contractually obliged to engage with the process.

·       Due to SBCs contractual commitment to the Framework Agreement, priorities for 2025-2026 were focused on homes that had a place on the ‘Older Persons Residential Framework Agreement 2024-2029’.  Assessments were planned around priority of support / level of risk, taking into account factors including date and rating of the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) / PAMMS assessment, outcomes from the most recent CQC / PAMMS assessment report, other intelligence and data that increased the risk of service quality deterioration, and the number of PAMMS assessments that could be completed within current team resources.  Assessments were also conducted on newly contracted providers delivering Care at Home and Housing with Care services within the Borough (that had not previously been assessed).

·       A summary table of assessments for contracted care homes (covering nursing, residential, learning disabilities, and mental health) undertaken by the SBC QuAC Team throughout 2025-2026 showed that, of the 29 inspections carried out, two services (Park House Rest Home and The White House Care Home) were rated ‘Excellent’ overall, 26 services had received a ‘Good’ overall PAMMS rating, and one service (Churchview Nursing and Residential Home) had been graded ‘Requires Improvement’ overall.  As was the case in 2024-2025, none of the 16 learning disability-focused (14) or mental health-focused (2) services were assessed during 2025-2026.

Overall ratings following assessments published during both 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 were also included for comparison.  2025-2026 had seen a further improvement in ratings when set against the outcomes of inspections from the previous two years (2024-2025 results showed one service graded ‘Excellent’, 22 services rated ‘Good’, and six receiving a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement).  Accompanying graphs illustrated ratings levels for 2023-2026 across services with a nursing, residential, learning disability, and mental health focus.

·       Summary tables of assessments for contracted Care at Home (2) and Housing with Care (2) services undertaken by the SBC QuAC Team throughout 2025-2026 showed that, of the four inspections carried out, all provision was rated ‘Good’ overall.

·       Key themes from assessments that scored an ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ rating were listed, much of which echoed the content of previous Annual Reports – these included highly detailed and well-structured care plans (supporting a person-centred approach and clearly reflecting the wishes of the service-user), the operation of a strong key worker system, the safe and effective management of medication, evidence of thorough and consistent monthly audits across all service areas, robust recruitment procedures, the promotion of choice  ...  view the full minutes text for item ASCH/22/25

Following a recent Committee request, representatives of Norton Medical Centre were in attendance to provide a response to the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of its services.

In response to the CQCs previous mid-2024 inspection (published in March 2025) which saw Norton Medical Centre downgraded from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’ (the ‘responsive’ domain being deemed ‘Inadequate’), the Committee invited the practice to provide its response to the regulator’s findings – this was subsequently considered at the Committee meeting in May 2025.

In March 2026, the CQC published its latest view of Norton Medical Centre following an inspection in October 2025.  The practice’s overall rating remained ‘Requires Improvement’, but whilst the ‘effective’ and ‘responsive’ domains had been upgraded, the ‘well-led’ domain was downgraded to ‘Inadequate’.  Prior to the publication of these findings, the CQC served a warning notice on Norton Medical Centre on 17 November 2025 for failing to meet the regulations relating to safe care and treatment.

Reflecting on these latest outcomes, the Committee agreed that the practice should provide a further response.  Representatives were therefore in attendance at this meeting and, led by the Interim Practice Manager and supported by three GP Partners, a presentation was given which included the following:

·       Latest Inspection: Conducted by the CQC on 2 October 2025 and published on 6 March 2026, the practice was graded ‘Good’ in the ‘effective’ and ‘caring’ domains, ‘Requires Improvement’ in the ‘safe’ and ‘responsive’ domains, and ‘Inadequate’ in the ‘well-led’ domain.

·       Safe: Areas of improvements and strengths were found in relation to safeguarding, clinical systems and continuity, environmental and infection control, and patient safety in practice.  However, focus was required around safety culture and learning, staffing and competency, medicines safety (it was noted that previous medication issues involved an external agency that was supporting the practice), and incident-reporting and governance.

·       Responsive: Achievements around person-centred care, equity and inclusion, and future planning were seen as areas of improvements and strengths, whilst work was needed on service access, listening and engagement, communication and information, and care co-ordination.

·       Well-Led: Shortfalls were identified in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion, governance and risk management, partnership and stakeholder working, learning and improvement, leadership and culture, leadership capability, and ‘freedom to speak up’.

·       Well-Led Action Plan: To improve leadership and accountability, action would be taken around recruitment, establishing the practice’s ‘vision’, strengthening staffing and meeting structures, reviewing the risk register, and enhancing communication with staff and patients (e.g. ‘You said, we did’).  Further actions in relation to staff engagement, wellbeing and support (staff survey; 1:1s and appraisals), patient and public involvement (Patient Participation Group (PPG); patient feedback), responding to concerns (complaints process; ‘freedom to speak up’), and monitoring and demonstrating improvement (regular reviews; engagement with staff; engagement with stakeholders for feedback) had also been identified.

·       Staff Survey: Results were relayed from a post-inspection staff survey which focused on eight areas – safety and speaking up, leadership and management, workload and pressure, learning from mistakes, behaviour, respect and  ...  view the full minutes text for item ASCH/23/25

Consideration was given to the latest Regional Health Scrutiny Update report which summarised the work of regional health scrutiny committees and highlighted some recent health-related developments impacting on the Tees Valley and / or wider North East and North Cumbria footprint.  Attention was drawn to the following:

·       Tees Valley Joint Health Scrutiny Committee: Middlesbrough Council was hosting the Committee in 2026-2027.  The first meeting of the new municipal year took place on 2 June 2026 where agenda items included the appointment of the new Chair, a NHS England / Northern Neonatal Network presentation on the delivery of neonatal care across the North East and North Cumbria region, and a Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) update on its review of Adult Eating Disorder Services.  Senior University Hospitals Tees (UHT) personnel also presented the joint (North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (NTHFT), and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STHFT)) Quality Account 2025-2026 and provided details of planned workforce reductions across the UHT footprint.

The next meeting was scheduled for 23 July 2026.  Although the agenda was still to be confirmed, a request was made at the June 2026 meeting for an item to be included on access to specialist community perinatal mental health services.

·       Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) / Integrated Care System (ICS) Joint Health Scrutiny Committee: No further developments regarding this Joint Committee since the previous update in April 2026.  In related matters, regional developments highlighted included the ongoing promotion of the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) ‘Here to help you’ webpage, the award-winning North East and North Cumbria Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub, significant developments in lung-health care, improved performance against the NHS four-hour treatment standard, a NHS patient transport services survey, and the NENC ICB Annual Involvement Report 2025-2026.

At a more local level, some recent North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (NTHFT) news items were noted in relation to a new Perinatal Pelvic Health Service (PPHS), national recognition for a Stockton volunteer, a new nurse-led biopsy service within the urology offer at the University Hospital of North Tees, and involvement in a national trial looking into a condition known as broken heart syndrome.

AGREED that the Regional Health Scrutiny Update report be noted.

CHAIR’S UPDATE

The Chair had no further updates.

WORK PROGRAMME 2026-2027

Consideration was given to the Committee’s current work programme.  The next meeting was due to take place on 21 July 2026 and would include the presentation of a new Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Adult Services Complaints Report, the Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees Annual Report 2025-2026 (brought forward from the stated September 2026 meeting), and the draft scope and plan for the Committee’s next in-depth review of Protection of Property.  The annual update on developments relating to the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone (TVCHIZ) was also anticipated, though this was yet to be confirmed by relevant senior officers.

Members expressed disappointment that the scope and plan for the forthcoming Protection of Property review could not be considered at this June 2026 meeting and hoped that the expected TVCHIZ update would not also be pushed back to a later date.

AGREED that the Chair’s Update and Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee Work Programme 2026-2027 be noted.