PluggedIN: Local government returns to the health landscape
Author: Alex Thomson, in the MJ |
No-one would pretend that local government is having the easiest time of it at the moment. Not only are leaders and chief executives grappling with the most punishing cuts to grant in living memory, but some supermarket tried to pin the blame for the horsemeat scandal on councils ? not with any justification, mind you, but another headache nonetheless.
However, it is not an unremittingly gloomy picture, for there are some positive changes which are now only weeks away from implementation. For the first time in many decades, local government is about to play a significant role in the health landscape once again.
The early-mid 20th Century was a golden era for local government, with the finances and freedoms to shape their local area and promote the health and wellbeing of residents.
The reforms of 1948 and 1974 changed all that, with local government being stripped of its responsibilities first around hospitals and then public health ? both losses long mourned by the sector.
So the coalition Government’s decisions to give councils a strategic role in health and direct responsibility in public health are very welcome ? not just as a highly encouraging demonstration of devolution, but because they present to local authorities a tantalising vista of possi-bilities to help improve the lives of their residents.
I am delighted therefore that at Localis we have just started work on a major new research project looking at local government’s view of the challenges and opportunities offered by these new powers and budgets.
Among the issues we will be looking at are: do Health and Wellbeing Boards have the levers they need to deliver? How can we ensure that Joint Strategic Needs Assessments live up to the ‘strategic’ part of their titles?
What kind of links are public health colleagues making with other parts of authorities? How challenging will the culture clash between the very different worlds of health and local government be, and what can be done to help the two sides to communicate and collaborate effectively?
It is a fascinating subject and I am very much looking forward to getting stuck into our research. We will be talking to members and officers up and down the country over the next few months ? if any MJ readers would like to contribute to our research, drop me a line.
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