WIREDGOV

Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, responds to a report by the King's Fund "Delivering sustainability and transformation plans".

"We back the King's Fund in warning over the cuts to councils' social care and public health budgets, and share the concerns over how we can provide care in the community, improve prevention services, and keep people out of hospital.

"Councils see STPs as an important vehicle in redesigning local care and health services to improve health and wellbeing, and the quality of care.

"But we will be unable to achieve this without genuinely new money for social care. It is only by properly investing in social care that we can alleviate the pressures on the NHS.

"The report also rightly highlights the need to put more effort into engaging the public and local authorities in the plans.

"We have long warned that STPs can only be effective if councillors and communities are at the heart of the planning process. It is vital they are involved and not just consulted afterwards on pre-determined solutions. Any failure to engage councillors could lead to vociferous opposition."

View report:  Politicians must be prepared to back NHS plans