The introduction of Accountable Care Organisations – or whatever they are called this week – brings a lot of talk not only about integrating health and social care, but also about local accountability. The accountability seems to be more about accountants than about democracy, but in principle local elected councillors could have a voice in the working of health services which they haven’t had for many years. We asked our members how health had featured in their local election campaiogns.
Of course we were looking mostly at how local Labour parties dealt with health – but some of our members reported that the Green Party had more to say about the NHS than Labour.
Enfield Labour Party
Their manifesto said they had IMPROVED HEALTH:
- Increased fitness with 12 outdoor gyms and outdoor playing spaces
- Opened a world class sexual health clinic
- Cut smoking prevalence by 6% since 2012
- Helped cut the life expectancy gap between the rich and poor and cut teenage pregnancy rate in the borough
and pledged that they would:
- launch a Borough Poverty and Community Fairness Commission
- tackle discrimination based on sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity
- oppose Tory policies that drive division and disadvantage in our community and tackle the causes of childhood poverty giving every child a good start in life
- develop our holistic approach to adult social care meeting needs in housing, advocacy and support
- continue to oppose the privatisation of our NHS
- campaign for more GPs and better surgeries
- put public health at the heart of policies for improving the quality of life of residents by promot-ing healthy lifestyles and physical activities
- continue to subsidise leisure facilities and services for older people
- give mental health the same priority as physical health
- support increased integration between the NHS and Adult Social Care to meet residents’ needs and cut bureaucracy
- reduce air pollution through clever design and screening of roads
- crackdown on illegal tobacco and cigarette selling
- ensure food safety standards and hygiene in business premises
Hertfordshire Labour Party
Colchester Borough Labour Party
reported they had redesigned two outdated sheltered housing schemes to provide fully accessible 21st Century older persons’ apartments.
Manifesto commitments: A Labour-led council would improve the health and wellbeing of the Borough and its residents by:
- Continuing to question whether the merger of Colchester and Ipswich Hospital Trusts is in the best interests of our residents and communities;
- Demanding a greater say in the NHS Sustainability and Transformation plans and programmes for our area, which means objecting to one Clinical Commissioning Group run from Suffolk;
- Involving the Borough Council in the integration of health and social care provision;
- Lobbying the government to significantly increase spending on the NHS;
- Providing more sheltered, supported and extra care accommodation by working with a range of partners across all sectors;
- Campaign on easy accessibility for all public buildings – especially the Work Capability Assessment centre;
- Instigating more Changing Places toilets.
Manchester Labour Party
Put Health and Social Care at the front of their campaign – as perhaps is appropriate when Manchester is said to be leading the way.
Manchester people made caring for those most in need in the City their number one priority so it is the number one priority for Manchester Labour. By taking control of our health and care services we will protect our NHS and help Manchester people live longer, healthier, happier lives.
We will:
● Increase pay for homecare workers to at least the Manchester Living Wage
● Employ more people to support vulnerable residents to stay in their own homes using the 1.5% Council Tax increase raised for adult
care
● Begin construction of at least 200 homes for older people at social rents as part of our extra-care schemes
● Invest to improve local access to community mental health services