22.08.16
Councils say they should be ‘equal partners’ in STPs
Plans to improve integration of health and social care are being held back because local councils are not being included as equal partners, local authority leaders in the south east have said.
In a letter to health secretary Jeremy Hunt, the council leaders said that sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) will struggle to deliver their goals without greater involvement of local councils.
They say that local authorities and NHS bodies should develop a common understanding of integration and include councils “as equal partners” in redesigning services, including allowing more care to be delivered at home.
Cllr Roy Perry, deputy chair of South East England Councils (SEEC), said: “It’s clear the current approach to health and social care is unaffordable in the long-term. Sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) could offer a way forward, but are mainly NHS-led and remain largely focused on ‘cure’.
“We feel opportunities are being missed to create partnerships that also draw on councils’ skills in delivering efficient, locally-tailored services that meet people’s needs and focus on prevention.”
A recent investigation by NHE’s sister title Public Sector Executive found that Greater Manchester, which has devolved healthcare powers, has greater integration than areas which have introduced STPs.
The letter lists eight solutions to improving care integration, developed in a joint workshop between SEEC and South East Strategic Leaders (SESL), including encouraging co-chairing between NHS and local authority leaders.
The council leaders also say “a careful re-design of jobs and qualifications” is needed to address the difficulties caused by the “fundamentally different” cultures and structures in the organisations.
One of the arguments in favour of integration is that it will deliver more efficient spending, but the letter warns that the process is currently suffering from a lack of clarity on how to measure savings.
STPs have faced a number of challenges recently. The health secretary has said that their purpose is simply reducing hospital bed days, whilst a survey of NHS finance directors found just 16% think sustainable STPs will be achieved by 2021.
The letter is also signed by Cllr Nicolas Heslop, chair of SEEC and leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council; Cllr Martin Tett, chair of SEEL and leader of Buckinghamshire County Council; and Cllr David Renard, SEEL vice chair and leader of Swindon Borough Council.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.