National Sexual Health Advisory Committee
Notes of First Meeting held on Tuesday June 28 2005
Conference Room 2, Victoria Quay
Attendees:
Chair: Mr Andy Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care
Vice Chair: Professor Peter Donnelly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, SEHD
Members:
Mary Allison, Head of Health Topics, NHS Health Scotland
Dr Nil Banerjee, Consultant in Genito-Urinary Medicine, NHS Fife
Dr Alison Bigrigg, Director, Sandyford Initiative, Glasgow
Marian Flynn, Strategic Co-ordinator, Glasgow's Teenage Pregnancy Steering Group
Shirley Fraser, Public Health Advisor, NHS Health Scotland
Professor David Goldberg, Consultant Epidemiologist, Health Protection Scotland
Miranda Harvey, Parent/Voluntary Director, Scottish Parent/Teacher Council
Shehla Ihsan, Manager, REACH Community Project, Glasgow
Hawys Kilday, Chief Executive, Caledonia Youth
Roy Kilpatrick, Chief Executive, HIV Scotland
Myra Lamont, Joint Associate Director, Operations/Governance and Nursing, Sandyford Initiative, Glasgow
James Leggat, Head Teachers Association
Dr Lesley Macdonald, Director of Public Health, NHS Fife
Michael McGrath, Director, Scottish Catholic Education Service
Fiona Mackenzie, Chief Executive, NHS Forth Valley
Dona Milne, Development Manager, Healthy Respect
Wendy Peacock, Directorate Manager/Associate Head of Health Promotion, NHS Tayside
Jamie Rennie, Chief Executive, LGBT Youth Scotland
Fraser Sanderson, Director of Education, Dumfries & Galloway Council
Dr Mairi Scott, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners Scottish Committee
Dr David Sutherland, Associate, NHS Education for Scotland
John Wilkes, Chairman, Equalities Co-ordinating Group
Dr Daniel Wight, Senior Researcher, Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council
Dianna Wolfson, Convenor, Scottish Interfaith Council
In attendance:
Sue Maxwell Couple Counselling (alternate for Hilary Campbell),
Dr Dermot Gorman, NHS Lothian (alternate for Dr Alison McCallum)
Matthew Cormack, Public Health Division, SEHD
Joe Logan, Public Health Division, SEHD
David Pattison, Medical Directorate, SEHD
Rod Burns, Pupil Support and Inclusion, SEED
Kelly Young, Ministerial Support Team
Welcome and Introductions
1. The Minister welcomed members to the first meeting of the National Sexual Health Advisory Committee and thanked them for the valuable contributions that they were already making to improve sexual health in Scotland. He stressed his commitment to playing a full role as Chair of the Committee, in the implementation of the national sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility and its action plan. The Minister apologised that on this occasion his attendance was required at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting which had been called at short notice and therefore Professor Donnelly would assume the duties of the Chair.
2. The Minister said he looked forward to working with the Committee on this important issue. Three nominations were outstanding, from the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament, and for a Family Planning Specialist to be nominated by the NHS Boards Chief Executives Group. (Note: Rev Andrew Philip's nomination from the Church of Scotland was received during the meeting and his apologies tendered).
3. The Minister was heartened by the general welcome expressed for the strategy, both within Parliament and wider afield, particularly on its principles of self respect, respect for others and strong relationships. He acknowledged that this was a sensitive area with deeply held views and therefore saw the key as engaging with key stakeholders such parents, service providers and wider Scottish society in order to make progress. The Strategy was absolutely in line with the Executive's wider health improvement agenda, including crosscutting issues, such as tackling alcohol misuse, all of which will contribute to better sexual health.
4. The Minister said he was pleased with the progress made to date in taking forward the national strategy. In particular, he welcomed the work by NHS Boards in developing their clinical service plans with the allocation of £4.5m new funding in 05/06 to help implement these plans. He indicated that while this should make a difference to frontline clinical services he looked forward to the Committee supporting him in taking forward the action plan outlined in Respect and Responsibility.
Apologies
5. Apologies were received from Alex Davidson, Hilary Campbell, Dr Alison McCallum, Tim Street and Angela Timoney.
Remit, Operational Framework and Membership (NSHAC(2005)02)
6. The Minister set out the working arrangements for the Committee's role as set out in Paper NSHAC (2005) 02 and reiterated that:
- To provide continuity the lifespan of Committee's membership would be for 3 years in the first instance
- Members were expected to:
- advise on policy, monitor and support implementation of Respect & Responsibility. Pursue, objectively and diligently the collective aims of the Advisory Committee
- exercise their individual talents and areas of expertise, to help brief and guide the Advisory Committee, which may include participating in, or leading sub groups in particular areas. The detailed work in taking forward the tasks of the Committee would be carried out by sub groups so that Committee meetings can take a more strategic overview
- prepare for each meeting by reading papers in advance, preparing and presenting any papers for consideration, participating in discussion
- not to lobby on behalf of individual organisations/special interest areas as part of Committee business but to represent the perspective of their constituency organisation
- respect the confidentiality markings of papers, and of any internal discussion
- The use of alternates will not normally be the norm unless previously cleared by the Secretariat.
7. Members were content with the remit and operational framework for the Committee's work as outlined.
8. The Minister left the Meeting at this point and Professor Donnelly assumed the Chair.
Respect and Responsibility: Progress on Recommendations (NSHAC(2005)03)
9. Members considered Paper NSHAC (2005) 03, which provided detailed information on actions taken to date in supporting the implement of the strategy since its publication on 27 January 2005. It was noted that in the Progress Grid in this paper, the proposals outlined in NHS Fife Board's plans for a 'sexual health consultant' should read 'family planning specialist'.
10. Speaking to this paper, David Pattison confirmed that only six out of thirty two Local Authorities had so far designated strategic leads for sexual health. These leads would be responsible for ensuring sexual health was addressed throughout all Council areas of responsibility, including health. All NHS Boards have appointed their Lead Executive Director, although some had still to appoint their Lead Clinicians.
11. All NHS Boards have submitted interim clinical plans and the funding to support the strategy has been made available on Arbuthnott principles. The Executive should receive final clinical service plans by 30 September. Local interagency sexual health strategies developed in partnership between NHS Boards, local authorities, voluntary sector and other stakeholders should also be submitted by 30 September.
12. There was a short discussion around the role of the Committee, including whether it would be seen as impartial. It was stressed that the Committee's role was to advise the Minister on policy, monitor and support implementation of Respect and Responsibility and in doing so, could offer up impartial advice as appropriate and that members were free to air any views they consider appropriate to the ongoing debate on sexual health.
Respect and Responsibility: Tasks for the Committee (NSHAC(2005)04)
13. In speaking to Paper NSHAC (2005) 04, Joe Logan indicated that it was hoped that the majority of the Committee's work would be taken forward through sub-groups with future meetings of the full Committee concentrating on monitoring progress and achievements. He said this paper set out the Committee's tasks and suggested methodology, timescale, priority and potential stakeholders for consideration.
14. The Committee split into smaller breakout groups to consider the different tasks which had been allocated to the Committee's. The breakout groups considered the priority ranking for each task, an appropriate member of the Committee to lead on each task, other Committee members to support delivery of the tasks and other external stakeholders who could be called upon to implement deliver the tasks. Following the breakout discussions, the facilitators (Rod Burns, Joe Logan and David Pattison) reported that members were generally content with the methodological approaches suggested and the identified Committee Leads and other interests. Joe Logan indicated that a summary of the group discussions would be circulated for consideration and comment.
Dates of Future Meetings (NSHAC(2005)04)
15. Future meetings of the Committee were agreed as:
- 24 October 2005
- 20 February 2006
- 26 June 2006
- 23 October 2006
These meetings would likely take place in Edinburgh commencing at 14.00 hours.
Closing Remarks
16. Professor Donnelly closed the meeting by thanking members for a very productive first meeting of the NSHAC.