At the Labour Party conference I spoke at an event hosted by the Local Government Information Unit on how we can build a local public health service. I was joined on the panel by the Southwark Council leader, Cllr Peter John, who spoke about the fantastic work they are doing to tackle the stark health inequalities in Southwark, including building safe warm homes and offering free access to gyms.
Southwark Council stands in a long and proud tradition. Local authorities for many decades have played a vital role in promoting the health of their communities. The most enlightened built decent homes, health centres such as the famous one in Finsbury, municipal sanatoria and hospitals, lidos and recreation grounds and ensured children had a balanced diet.
Yet entrenched health inequalities persist and we still haven’t managed to break the links between someone’s health and where they live and what they earn. Today, as we grapple with the human and financial cost of lifestyle related illness, drug addiction, diseases caused by smoking and drinking, untreated mental health conditions and rising levels of obesity; the need for a mechanism for partnership and co-ordination of services on a local level has never been greater.
The ambitions behind Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) to bring together representatives from CCGs, public health, mental health, social care, children’s services and elected representatives are welcome. As we start to get an idea of how they are working in practice, there is a growing sense of the difference they could make.
We are seeing a variety of models of HWBs starting to emerge, from those with wide memberships and sub committees to those with just the statutory minimum membership focussed on commissioning in partnership with CCGs. But it is the people within these organisations and the relationships between them, rather than how they choose to organise themselves that is of particular interest to me.
If HWBs are to succeed in planning the right services for their area, they must have the right people around the table. I want to see if there is scope for other professionals, dentists for example, to become engaged with HWBs in ways that they’re not now.
The democratic element of HWBs is vital in connecting local people with the decisions that are made about their neighbourhoods and ensuring they have influence over them. I’m keen to see how the roles of elected councillors and patients’ representatives can be strengthened.
Finally, I am clear that HWBs must have teeth in order to translate their plans into action. Many Boards are already playing a bigger role in commissioning services and it’s only a matter of time before others follow suit.
The true test of the success of a HWB is the impact it has on the local community. It is still early days but with the right people around the table, real engagement with local people, and the influence they need to make their plans a reality, we should soon see some start to pass with flying colours.
Luciana Berger is shadow public health minister
