WIREDGOV

Cllr Linda Thomas, Vice Chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board responds to the new NHS Delivery Plan.

"Councils fully support the aim to improve the health and wellbeing of our nation and have a crucial role to play through shaping local public services and as leaders of their local communities. We have fully supported the ambitions in the Five Year Forward View aimed at supporting the health of our nation. 

"Local authorities already contribute to the wider determinants of health through housing, leisure, education, community support and wider services, as well as social care. They have statutory responsibilities through Health and Wellbeing Boards and also spend more than £3.2 billion each year specifically on public health, including NHS services such as sexual health, drug and alcohol treatment and NHS Health Checks, however this has not been reflected in the report.

"We had also hoped to see a greater recognition of the role councils play in working with local communities to identify local priorities and make decisions about where to direct scarce resources. It is therefore disappointing that there is little recognition of the vital role that councils and democratically elected councillors can play in delivering better and more joined-up social care and health services for their local residents.

"The additional £2 billion for adult social care announced in the Spring Budget is intended to help meet adult social care needs, support the provider market, and relieve pressures on the NHS, including helping people out of hospital.

"Whilst it will go some way to relieving pressures it is not enough to resolve all short-term issues, and nor is it a long-term solution to what is an ongoing crisis for the sector. 

"We have been clear that decisions about how this money is invested should be left to councils, working with their health partners and others. The way the money is targeted should be decided locally and this will rightly be different in different areas, depending on the needs of local people. 

"Councils fully support the commitment to improve the health of their residents but need to be able to play a full and equal role."

View report:  Five Year Forward View