Procedure for Public Questions at Board Meetings - Gloucestershire ...

GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Title
Procedure for Public Questions at Board
Meetings
Report date June 2013
Indicative discussion time required 10 minutes
Please classify the paper as:
• To note
To approve
• To endorse
• To approve
Executive Summary
Please describe as appropriate the link to:
• The Trust Strategic Objectives
• The Trust In-Year Objectives
• The Trust Mission
• The Trust Values
Please describe how this affects
patients/staff/carers etc.
Please describe what stakeholders think
about this.
Please describe how this affects our:
• performance
• quality and safety
• cost
• activity
Is what is described in the paper
affordable?
Please explain when you will be able to
report progress about this issue.
Please identify the risks associated with
this issue and describe how they will be
dealt with. Please set out in the report in
risk register format the risks associated
with the issue.
Please describe the aspects of this paper
that might require wider stakeholder
engagement or public consultation, and
early engagement with Governors.
Please identify any other significant impact
or outcomes (where applicable) in relation
to Financial issues, Equality and Diversity,
the NHS Constitution, Legal issues or
Sustainable Development.
Recommendation
Author
Presenting Director
To provide an opportunity for the Board to
approve a procedure for the public questions
at Board meetings.
N/A
N/A
Activity
The procedure will provide a clear process
for the public to ask questions at Board
meetings.
N/A
The operation of the procedure will be
closely monitored.
N/A
N/A
N/A
The Board is asked to approve attached
procedure for public questions at Board
meetings.
Martin Wood, Trust Secretary
Prof Clair Chilvers, Chair
Procedure for Public Questions at Board Meetings Page 1 of 1
Main Board – June 2013

1 Introduction
GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
MAIN BOARD – JUNE 2013
PROCEDURE FOR PUBLIC QUESTIONS AT BOARD MEETINGS
1.1 The opportunity has been taken to review the current practice for members of the
public to ask questions at Board meetings. A trawl has been undertaken of a number of
Trusts in the South West, large Trusts, the 2gether Trust and three local councils in
Gloucestershire to ascertain what arrangements they have in place for the submission
of public questions at Board meetings. The responses indicate that the majority of
Trusts allocate time at Board meetings for the public to ask questions ask those
meetings. The format varies between Trusts. Local authorities also provide such a
facility at Council and certain Committee meetings. Some Trusts, and in particular local
authorities, provide a facility with clear guidelines which, depending on the type of
organisation, form either part of the Constitution or Standings Orders. There is a small
number of Trusts which do not offer a facility for public questions at meetings.
1.2 A facility for the public to ask questions at Board meetings provides an opportunity for
greater public involvement in the Trust. The current facility should continue but it should
operate within a clear procedure explaining to questioners the process to be following
in submitting questions through to receiving a response. On this basis the attached
procedure has been prepared. It is suggested that at the conclusion of the open section
of each Board meeting 10 minutes is allocated for public questions. To facilitate the
process it is suggested that the procedure is incorporated in the Agenda for each
Board meeting. The procedure will be incorporated into Standing Orders and s
operation will be closely monitored. The procedure will also be placed on the Trust’s
website.
2 Recommendation
The Board is invited to approve the attached procedure for Public Questions at Board
meetings.
Author:
Martin Wood
Trust Secretary
Presenting Director:
Prof Clair Chilvers
Chair
Date: June 2013
Procedure for Public Questions at Board Meetings Page 1 of 1
Main Board, June 2013

GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
PROCEDURE FOR PUBLIC QUESTIONS AT BOARD MEETINGS
Written questions for the Board Meeting
People who live or work in the county or are affected by the work of the Trust may ask the
Chair of the Trust Board a question on any matter which is within the powers and duties of
the Trust.
Ten minutes will be allocated at the end of the public section of each Board meeting for
written questions from the public to be answered. Where it is not possible for all written
questions to be dealt with within this timeframe a written response will be provided to the
questioner and copied to all Board members within 7 working days of the meeting. In
exceptional circumstances, the Chair may extend the time period for public questions.
Notice of questions
A question may only be asked if it has been submitted in writing to the Trust Secretary by
12.00 noon 3 clear working days before the date of the Board meeting. Each question must
give the name and address of the questioner. Written questions are to be submitted to the
Trust Secretary, 1 College Lawn, Cheltenham, GL53 7AT or by e-mail to
martin.wood@glos.nhs.uk No more than 3 written questions may be submitted by each
questioner.
Procedure
At the Board meeting the questioner, if present, will be invited to read out the question. If
absent, the Chair may read out the question. A written answer will be provided to a written
question and will be given to the questioner and to members of the Trust Board before being
read out at the meeting by the Chair. Copies of the questions and the responses will be
recorded in the minutes.
Additional Questions
A questioner who has submitted a written question may, with the consent of the Chair, ask
an additional oral question arising directly out of the original question or the reply.
An answer to an oral question will take the form of either:
• a direct oral answer; or
• if the information required is not easily available a written answer will be sent to the
questioner and circulated to all members of the Trust Board.
Unless the Chair decides otherwise there will not be discussion on any public
question.
Written questions may be rejected and oral questions need not be answered when the Chair
considers that they:
• are not on any matter that is within the powers and duties of the Trust;
• are defamatory, frivolous or offensive;
• are substantially the same as a question that has been put to a meeting of the Trust
Board and been answeredin the past six months; or
• would require the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.
For further information, please contact Martin Wood, Trust Secretary on 0300 422 2932
Procedure for Public Questions at Board Meetings Page 1 of 1
Main Board, June 2013