The Local Government Association (LGA) responded to the proposed UK Health and Social Care Bill during the House of Lords Report Stage

Citation

(2012), "The Local Government Association (LGA) responded to the proposed UK Health and Social Care Bill during the House of Lords Report Stage", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 13 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/qaoa.2012.55913baa.004

The Local Government Association (LGA) responded to the proposed UK Health and Social Care Bill during the House of Lords Report Stage

Article Type: News and events From: Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Volume 13, Issue 2

The LGA strongly supported the transfer of public health to local government. It is only by embedding health improvement in mainstream plans and services, such as housing, education, planning, leisure and environmental services that there can be a shift from a reactive approach to a more preventative way of thinking, promoting better health and wellbeing.

They support a person-centred and place-based total health and wellbeing model as the only way of securing lasting improvements in health, at the same time as reducing the costs of health and social care. They argue for four key principles at the heart of these reforms:

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  Healthcare decisions accountable to local people and based on local needs.

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  Services organised around people’s needs – without artificial barriers between social care, other council services and the NHS.

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  All people looked after as a result of the reforms with “whole population” commissioning.

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  Local government at the heart of public health.

But their concerns include the unanticipated duty on local authorities to deal with death registration brought about by the abolition of primary care trusts. Such fundamental reform must be subject to a detailed impact assessment of the costs to town halls and family members before going out for public consultation. They are also unhappy about the lines of accountability for Directors of Public Health (DsPH). They believe it important that local authorities have autonomy over their workforce. With the transfer of public health responsibilities this will include public health staff. It would seem neither necessary nor appropriate for the Secretary of State to issue guidance regarding public health staff. This would be an unacceptable level of central direction and inconsistent with the Government’s localist intentions.

Also The LGA is currently working to support local authorities as they continue to develop local Healthwatch – with the aims of promoting good practice, sharing ideas and learning, and to assist those who need additional support in a timely and effective way. But there remains a need for clarity on a local authority’s statutory responsibilities with regard to public health – health improvement, health protection and public health advice to health professionals. The Secretary of State has reserve powers to direct local authorities to provide specified public health services: more detail is needed.

For more information contact:

Kirsty Ivanoski-Nichol, Senior Public Affairs and Campaigns Adviser; Telephone: 020 7664 3125; e-mail: Kirsty.ivanoski-nichol@local.gov.uk