28/02/2011 - Permalink

Cabinet to consider proposals to approve Shropshire’s new Health and Well-Being Board

Related topics: Health

A paper to be presented to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 15 February will include a proposal to establish a shadow Health and Well-Being Board ahead of the April 2012 deadline to deliver health services across Shropshire in
the future.

The report presented to Cabinet is in response to the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill, which represents a major restructure not just of health care services, but also of councils’ responsibilities in relation to health improvement and the co-ordination of health and social care. The Bill will create a new role for councils in public health; councils will be given responsibility for health improvement currently carried out by Primary Care Trusts.

Amongst the report recommendations there is a proposal to establish a shadow transition Health and Well-Being Board. The board will be made up of a core membership which will include at minimum:

  • Local Authority Elected Members
  • GP Commissioning Consortia representatives
  • HealthWatch (Patient and Public Champions)
  • Director of Adult Social Services
  • Director of Children’s Services
  • Director of Public Health

The core purpose of the new health and well being boards is to join up commissioning across the NHS, social care, public health and other related services. The primary aims of the board would be to promote integration and partnership working between these services and to improve local
democratic accountability.

Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social
care, said

“Looking after the health and well-being of communities is one of the primary responsibilities of local government. We welcome the Bill’s intention to give councils a leading role in improving, promoting and protecting the health and well-being of our communities. By working together with our partners we can now move forward to significantly enhance local health services and to create a health and care system in Shropshire that meets the needs of our residents in a more efficient, coherent and cost effective way, and which makes a positive, sustained difference to the quality of life for Shropshire’s residents.”