Apologies: Gavin & Rosemary Ross, Dr Tony Jewell, Mike Young, Mike Grady, Ali Syed, David Pickersgill, Dr Hannah Cooke, Melanie Johnson, Matthew Prior.
Present: Mike Roberts, John Lipetz, Shibley Rahman, Barrie Brown, Chris Bain, Rachel Harris, Eric Watts, Patrick French, Thomas Fitzgerald, Caroline Molloy, Richard Grimes, Steve Adshead, John Kolm-Murray, Tony Beddow, Noemi Fabry, Huw Davies, Doug Naysmith, David Gresty, Jane Roberts, Katrina Murray, Harry Clarke, Jos Bell, Brian Fisher. Martin Rathfelder
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 21st September in Brighton – accepted
2. Items arising from the minutes – none not dealt with on agenda
6. It was moved and accepted that Item 6 be taken prior to Item 4. The Director did not partake in the discussion of Item 6. The discussion covered the publication of the website, its content and where editorial powers lay.
Actions:
- It was agreed that the officers would take on board points raised at the meeting and review the role of the editorial board and points raised at this meeting in discussion with them. The Chair would meet with members of the Editorial Board and report to other officers in the next few weeks.
- A group should look at governance matters in the light of the work that Harry Clarke (HC) had been doing on governance arrangements. HC could invite members but no member expressing an interest would be excluded. It was agreed that the constitutional group would report to officers in the new year and prior to any submission to the AGM.
- It was noted that between meetings of the Central Council, officers were vested with executive authority.
4. Labour Party issues
a) Special Conference 1st March – decision on delegates at January CC.
b) Public Health – ideas for the Health Policy Commission
Tony Jewell’s paper was welcomed and discussed. Points noted:
i. A critique of the neoliberal framework within which health and public health issues were being framed in much of the media and by the government should be included;
ii. More mention of mental health was needed;
iii. More mention of housing needs would be useful;
iv. Health inequalities should be addressed in the paper;
v. The ways in which public facilities were being eroded or made less accessible should be included;
vi. The Chair felt that a summary policy paper should be drawn up with a lengthier paper appended
c) Update on the work of the Independent Commission on Whole Person care – to be continued at future meeting
d) European Election Campaign
e) Foundation Trust Chairs Network – not taken
5. Campaigning – to be discussed at January meeting
6. Website – see above
7. Private Provision and the NHS – discussion paper – not taken at this meeting
8. Next meeting 18th January. Date of AGM – 8th March 2014