Dudley councillors criticised for missing health meetings during pandemic
A major shake-up of a council health committee has been called for after it emerged councillors failed to attend its meetings.
The low attendance rate at the Dudley’s Health and Wellbeing board – which helps coordinate work with the NHS, hospitals and GPs – has triggered a call for change.
But the board’s chairman, Councillor Nicolas Barlow, stressed the authority’s Covid response plans haven’t been affected by the lack of numbers.
Speaking at a recent meeting of the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, Councillor David Tyler claimed high absenteeism had slowed efforts to improve health.
He said: “If you look at the numbers of people giving apologies and look back through the Health and Wellbeing board’s minutes it’s as if almost as many people giving apologies for not being at the meeting as there is at the meeting.”
He added: “We have already asked that this committee reviews everything to do with the Health and Wellbeing Board and I think it is an issue because the board has the capacity to drive health improvements for all of our residents further and at a much greater pace that it has being doing at the moment.”
The Health and Wellbeing Board has four councillors and since the start of the pandemic has met three times.
July’s meeting was attended by three members while at September and December’s meetings, only two were present.
Members include Councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member for housing, communities and residents' welfare, and Councillor Susan Ridney.
Councillor Barlow, cabinet member for health and adult social care, has chaired every meeting since July 2019.
Saying councillors hadn’t been able to attend because of work and other commitments he stressed the council’s response to Covid wasn’t affected.
Pointing out there is also a health and adult social care committee, he added: “Yes, it is very disappointing that members haven’t attended as many meetings as they should.
“It is down to the leaders of both [political] groups to do what is necessary to make sure membership is robust and we have the right members on those committees.
“The lack of members attending the board has had no detrimental effect to the council’s ability to manage the coronavirus pandemic.
“The authority has an outbreak engagement board and other sessions which are all very well attended and where councillors can contribute and and ask questions.”
His comments were supported by Councillor Ridney who has been present at the September and December meetings after joining the board in late July.
She added: “Although the Health and Wellbeing Board has responsibility for public health it is a broader front. We look at policies such as exercise, obesity and educational programmes for health, so it is a much wider front.”
Both Councillor Buttery and Councillor Taylor have been contacted for comment .
