LGA response to health committee report on public health

2 November 2011

Responding to the Health Select Committee's report on public health, Cllr David Rogers, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Councils can be trusted with public health, which has been the core business of local government since its foundation. As providers of services such as housing, transport and leisure, councils are in a unique position to address the wider causes of poor health.

"The decision to allow councils to decide how best to use their public health budgets is a testament to the effort, resources and imagination local authorities already put into improving the health and wellbeing of their communities and will provide a great opportunity for them to build on this good work.

"But the health reforms also present challenges and the committee supports our view that there needs to be better coordination in the system as a whole. The current lack of clarity creates a sense that people know big changes are coming but do not yet know all the details. With so many 'unknowns' and important parts of the jigsaw missing it is difficult for councils to take decisive action and forge ahead with local plans.

"We continue to urge the Department for Health and Public Health England to work with us in supporting local authorities in preparing to meet their new public health responsibilities and ultimately help them in delivering wide-reaching health improvements to their residents."

Notes:

Last month the Local Government Association came together with major health bodies to set out a shared position on the future design of public health in England.

In a joint statement health professionals and the LGA have set out 12 areas of agreement intended to shape future national discussion on legislation, guidance and implementation of the government reforms.

The wide ranging proposals represent the first time five key health organisations and those involved in delivering the changes have found common ground on the plans and jointly supported proposals that will see the return of key areas of health to the remit of local government by April 2013.

The joint statement identifies areas that "need further consideration" in order for the reform of public health to be a success and is agreed by the Local Government Association, the British Medical Association, Faculty of Public Health, Association of Directors of Public Health, NHS Confederation and Royal College of Midwives.

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