Agenda item

Report ACS 11013

The Director of Adult and Community Services reported on the Government’s proposals for the reform of the NHS which would bring about radical changes to the organisation of the commissioning arrangements for local health services and for Public Health functions to be transferred to local government. Attention was drawn to the proposals for transferring Public Health functions (health improvement, tacking health inequalities and health protection) to the local authority, the draft legislation of which indicated this would take place by April 2013. 

Members were informed that the Council together with Bromley PCT had for the past 18 months been in discussion about areas where further integration and joint working could be beneficial from a service delivery and efficiency perspective.  The Bromley PCT along with other London PCTs was undergoing a major reorganisation resulting in the introduction of Sector PCT arrangements.  In the light of the Government’s new proposals therefore the situation had been reviewed and it was considered opportune to make arrangements for the transfer of the Public Health functions to the Council earlier rather than wait until 2013.  A report setting out the justification and the proposed way forward to facilitate the transfer had been considered by the Shadow Health & Well Being Board in January and was appended to the Director’s report.  Subject to the agreement of the Council’s Executive and the PCT it was proposed to draw up and conclude an agreement with a target date for transfer of the Public Health functions to the Council by April 2011.  The mechanism for doing this would be by entering into a Section 75 Agreement.

Also as part of the Government’s proposals was the establishment of a Health & Well Being Board and Bromley had set up a Shadow Board in January this year which had started to exercise the functions envisioned in the Government’s approach.  The Executive’s approval was now formally sought to the terms of reference for the new Shadow Board.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services spoke of the importance of these proposals and that to some extent Bromley was ahead in having already started the process of joint working over a year ago.  He referred to the Joint Strategic Assessment which he felt had been light on Mental Health issues and would like to see this included.  Councillor Noad supported the suggestion particularly related to children’s mental health which had been underfunded.  Members in discussing the proposals were generally supportive but highlighted some issues around the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the level of input into it and Inspection regimes.  The Director advised in response to comments on the transfer of Public Health staff and the implications of this including pensions, that those staff would remain Public Health employees together with their staffing budgets until the official transfer in 2013. A workforce strategy would be developed in the interim and he thought suitable financial provision would be made although the details were still being worked on as the Bill was going through Parliament.

RESOLVED that

1)  approval be given to proceed with the transfer of the current Public Health service from Bromley PCT to the Council under a Section 75 Agreement with a target date of April 2011;

2)  authority to finalise that Agreement be delegated to the Chief Executive and the Director of Legal, Democratic and Customer Services, in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council; and

3)  the establishment of the Shadow Health and Well Being Board with its Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix B of the report be noted and endorsed.