Introduction
The West Midlands Perinatal Institute (WMPI) is an
NHS organisation hosted by Heart of Birmingham Teaching
PCT. It was established in 2000 to address issues
concerning perinatal morbidity and mortality in the
Region. It is core-funded from Regional Levies and
receives additional resources for specific projects
carried out on the basis of service level agreements
for each Project.
WMPI will assist organisations across the West Midlands
to improve perinatal care and outcomes through: i)
audit, research and education; ii) the dissemination
of evidence of models of care producing best health
outcomes; iii) the development of strategies for their
effective introduction into routine care.
The Institute’s activities benefit from the
development and maintenance of networks and connections
of both a National and International nature. Funded
projects from outside the West Midlands do arise from
these activities.
Principal Stakeholders
The Principal Stakeholders of the WMPI are the West
Midlands Primary Care Trusts.
The authority and roles of the Governing Board as
set out in this Terms of Reference is granted to the
Board by the Principal Stakeholders through the core
contract held between WMPI and the West Midlands Regional
Levies Board – which represents the interests
of all West Midlands PCTs.
The WMPI is equally accountable to all the Principal
Stakeholders through the Governing Board.
The Principal Stakeholders have agreed, through the
Levies Board, to establish and support the WMPI as
a non-statutory organisation specifically set up for
the following purposes:
- to provide audit, research and educational
support to PCTs on the improvement of perinatal care
and health outcomes across the West Midlands
- to provide
audit, research and educational support to Providers
and their clinicians in their seeking
improvements in
- perinatal care practices across the
West Midlands
-
to assist PCTs and provider units with strategies
to reduce perinatal and infant mortality and morbidity
-
to provide the dissemination of evidence for best
practice and to work in collaboration with Providers
and PCTs to develop strategies for their effective
introduction into routine care
-
for other, related purposes as established by the
Governing Board
The Principal Stakeholders have agreed, through
the Levies Board, to equally share any risks and
future liabilities that may arise as a consequence
of the activities or investment in the WMPI.
Purpose
The purpose of the Governing Board is, on behalf
of the principal stakeholders, to provide a Corporate
Authority for the West Midlands Perinatal Institute,
and to steer and support its activities in such ways
that it is best able to fulfil its mission.
Specific
Roles of the Governing Board
- To approve the annual business plan and to
hold to account the WMPI Director in his responsibility
for delivering the plan.
- To approve the Audit and
Research strategy that underpins the direction
and purpose of the various
activities of the WMPI.
- To approve, and to monitor
the effectiveness of, the internal governance arrangements
of the WMPI.
- To support the communications strategy
of the WMPI that is necessary to maintain stakeholder
confidence and to promote the adoption of best
practice in perinatal
care by the Commissioners and Providers.
- To
support the Director of the WMPI in developing
new proposals for activities that will support
the mission.
- Collectively, and individually,
to promote the value of the contribution of the
WMPI towards
the
improvement
of the perinatal performance in the West
Midlands.
- To approve any new contracts for work
that WMPI wish to undertake; specifically
to ensure
that
the work is consistent with the business
plan and objectives
of WMPI and that the contracts do not present
any undue potentially significant liability
to the
Principal Stakeholders.
Membership
The Board will consist of key stakeholders representing
organisations responsible for commissioning and monitoring
of maternity services.
- Chief Executive of HoB PCT (Chair)
-
A Chief Executive of another WM PCT (outside Birmingham)
-
Medical Director of WM SHA
-
A Director of Public Health of WM PCT
-
A Chief Executive or Medical Director of Acute Trust
in WM with a large Maternity Unit
-
Representative of the Regional Levies Executive Board
(unless RLB already represented through one
of the above)
-
Director of WM Specialised Services Agency
-
Director of SANDS UK (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death
Society)
-
Representative of the Birmingham Asian Women’s
Network •
Representative of the Caribbean Women’s Network
-
A Professor with a Research Portfolio from the WM
Academic Institutions(probably outside the Birmingham
Area)
-
Director of the West Midlands Perinatal Institute
The Board can co-opt additional members to add value
to the achievement of specific goals for specific
periods of time.
Meetings
Three
to four times yearly.
Minutes
The proceedings and all decisions of the Governing
Board shall be minuted. Copies of the Governing Board’s
minutes, once approved as an accurate and correct
record, shall be circulated by WMPI to (in addition
to the members of the board):
- The Principal Stakeholders
- The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority
- The Regional Levies Board
Quorum
At
least five members to include:
A PCT CEO
A Medical Director / Public Health Doctor
A funding stakeholder
A User Stakeholder
The Director of the WMPI
Sub-Committees
The Board is unlikely to establish sub-committees
but it has the authority so to do. The employment
and remuneration arrangements for all the WMPI employees
are the responsibility of the host PCT. Hence, these
arrangements for the Director of the WMPI are the
responsibility of the Remuneration Sub-Committee
of the host PCT. In order to make the necessary decisions
this Sub-Committee of HoB tPCT will require advice
and recommendations from a small group of members
of the Governing Board of WMPI. Such a sub-group,
under the Chairmanship of the Chair of the WMPI Governing
Board, will need to be established by the WMPI Board
to provide this information.
Members of the Board may also be involved in dealing
with appeals concerning grievances or disciplinary
matters of any of the employees, although these will
be handled within the procedures of the host PCT.
Relationship to the HoB tPCT as the
host organisation
As the WMPI is a non-statutory body it is recognised
that Heart of Birmingham teaching PCT, as host to
the WMPI, provides the following functions:
Finance
- Facilitate all financial procedures including
payments and invoicing either directly or indirectly
on behalf of WMPI.
-
Maintain a financial ledger which will distinguish
the income and expenditure for WMPI.
-
Provide petty cash.
-
Ensure WMPI complies with the PCT’s SFIs,
SOs and schemes of delegation
-
Holds all contracts on behalf of WMPI
Corporate
- Employing authority for WMPI staff.
-
Payroll services
-
Provision of corporate functions e.g. HR, organisational
development and training, legal advice.
-
Ensures WMPI adheres to corporate policies for
risk, health and safety and clinical governance.
The CEO of HOBtPCT is the Accountable Officer for
the WMPI but the Director of the WMPI is the responsible
Budget Holder and Manager. The Director and staff
of the WMPI have to work within the SFIs and Standing
Orders of the host PCT.
All Principal Stakeholders, as specified in the
contract with the Regional Levies Board, accept that
this additional responsibility by Heart of Birmingham
teaching PCT does not make them solely liable for
any financial risks/errors incurred by the WMPI.
These risks will remain the collective responsibility
of all Principal Stakeholders.
The Principal Stakeholders also agree that HOBtPCT
can apply a reasonable charge to WMPI for the costs
that it incurs in providing these functions and that
these costs will be recouped through the contracts
that WMPI holds, including the contract with the
Regional Levies Board.
The Director of the WMPI will have the CEO of HoB
tPCT (also Chairman of the Governing Board) as his
line manager.
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