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Plans for Local Authorities to administer the new public health budgets are ‘ill-thought out’, says Unite
The latest proposals to improve the public health of the population are ‘ill-thought out’ and raise serious questions about how they will be implemented, Unite, the union, has said. -ends- Note to news editors: For further information, please ring Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
Unite, which has 100,000 members in the health sector, wants to know how the ring-fenced budgets that local government will receive to carry out improvements in people’s health will be guaranteed in the long-term.
Unite’s National Officer for Health, Karen Reay said: ‘These plans have been cobbled together in an ill-thought out fashion with a devil-may-care lack of consultation. How are local authorities, facing cuts of 28% over the next four years, meant to cope with this added massive layer of responsibility? They are already creaking at the seams.’
‘The £4bn that has been earmarked for these public health budgets pales into insignificance compared with the £80bn that the coalition is giving to GPs to basically privatise the NHS.’
‘Unite will be consulting its members on these proposals, which are another big upheaval where the benefits for the health of the nation are neither clear nor guaranteed.’
The White Paper, Healthy Lives, Healthy People claims that, for the first time in a generation, central government will not hold all the purse strings. Directors of Public Health will be employed by local authorities which mean that they will lead on how the ring-fenced money is spent in their localities to improve public health.
Unite’s Lead Professional Officer, Obi Amadi said: ‘Certainly the issues of public health, such as obesity and sexually transmitted diseases, need greater attention and energy focussed on them.’
‘However, a note of caution needs to be sounded as these local ‘ring-fenced’ budgets could be open to interpretation. Therefore, it is important that strong central guidelines and monitoring need to be in place, so the money remains firmly in the public health arena.’
‘The same is true of the Directors of Public Health - their role and responsibilities need to be very clear and set in concrete. And who will they be accountable to?’
