Health and Wellbeing Board meeting
Thursday, 31 March 2011 09:23
Nottinghamshire County Council will discuss setting up a Health and Wellbeing Board at a meeting of the Council today (Thursday 31 March)
The board will oversee the Public Health responsibilities that are being transferred from PCTs to Local Authorities in 2013 and has a responsibility to promote integrated working across Health and Local Government and ensure that the health needs of the people of Nottinghamshire are met.
Nottinghamshire County Council applied to be an early implementer of the Health and Wellbeing Board and this application has been approved by the Government. This will help to shape the agenda around public health and wider health services in the County.
Establishing the board is a requirement under the Health and Social Care Bill which was introduced in January 2011 and is currently being progressed through Parliament.
In the White Paper 'Healthy People: Healthy Lives' the Government proposes that responsibility for health should be shifted from central government to local communities and that individuals should take more responsibility for their own health. It is proposed that local authorities should be responsible for health improvement. This will be supported by a ring-fenced grant. This grant will fund both improving health and wellbeing and some non-discretionary services such as open-access sexual health services and certain immunisations.
Coun Kay Cutts, Leader of the County Council: "The new Board will set the agenda for health improvement across Nottinghamshire. The Board has a responsibility to promote integrated working across health and local government.
"We want to put patients at the heart of our decision making, whilst ensuring that health services offer maximum value for money by removing duplication and ensuring that services are commissioned, procured and evaluated effectively."
It is proposed that membership of the Board should comprise of:
- the Leader, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Property of Nottinghamshire County Council
- one opposition Member from the Labour and one from the Liberal Democrat groups (Leader or Deputy Leader)
- one representative from two District Councils
- the Director of Adult Social Services, Nottinghamshire County Council
- the Director of Childrens Services, Nottinghamshire County Council
- the Director of Public Health
- a representative of Local HealthWatch
- one representative of each of the GP Consortia
- a representative from the NHS Commissioning Board.
Dr Chris Kenny, Director of Public Health at NHS Nottinghamshire County will also join the County Councils Corporate Leadership Team from mid April to oversee the transfer of responsibilities.
Dr Kenny said: "I look forward to working as part of the Board to ensure that we continue to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Nottinghamshire. This new way of working will provide us with a great opportunity to make real improvements to people's health and ensure that local services are meeting local needs."
