Agenda item

To consider the following motion by Dr Walsh, which was referred to the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health at the meeting of the County Council on 15 February 2019.

‘The Council notes the vital role played by Public Health, including our hugely successful vaccination and immunisation programmes, support for those wanting to stop smoking, and otherwise helping West Sussex residents to lead healthier lives by avoiding diseases and unplanned pregnancies; and notes with grave concern the announcement of a further £85m cut to the Public Health Budget, as one of 12 ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the 2018 parliamentary term before Christmas, only weeks after the Secretary of State for Health described ‘prevention’ as his priority.

The Council further notes the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3bn a year is required to reverse the impact of the Government’s cuts to the Public Health Grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need; and the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.

This Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of West Sussex healthy and to avoid more costly admissions to hospitals and other interventions by our NHS, and that this should be properly funded by central government.

The Council resolves to:

(1)      Thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across West Sussex despite continued financial challenges;

(2)      Condemn the timing just before the Christmas break to ‘sneak out’ announcements such as this;

(3)      Call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health to consider carefully how best to implement the required cuts to services which will result from continued government cuts to the budget; and

(4)      Ask the Leader and Cabinet Member to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach, and fair and equitable funding for West Sussex.’

and the report by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health.

11.1   At the County Council meeting on 15 February 2019 the following motion had been moved by Dr Walsh, seconded by Dr O’Kelly, and referred to the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health for consideration.  A report by the Cabinet Member was included with the agenda (pages 45 and 46).

‘The Council notes the vital role played by Public Health, including our hugely successful vaccination and immunisation programmes, support for those wanting to stop smoking, and otherwise helping West Sussex residents to lead healthier lives by avoiding diseases and unplanned pregnancies; and notes with grave concern the announcement of a further £85m cut to the Public Health Budget, as one of 12 ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the 2018 parliamentary term before Christmas, only weeks after the Secretary of State for Health described ‘prevention’ as his priority.

The Council further notes the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3bn a year is required to reverse the impact of the Government’s cuts to the Public Health Grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need; and the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.

This Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of West Sussex healthy and to avoid more costly admissions to hospitals and other interventions by our NHS, and that this should be properly funded by central government.

The Council resolves to:

(1)     Thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across West Sussex despite continued financial challenges;

(2)     Condemn the timing just before the Christmas break to ‘sneak out’ announcements such as this;

(3)     Call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health to consider carefully how best to implement the required cuts to services which will result from continued government cuts to the budget; and

(4)     Ask the Leader and Cabinet Member to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach, and fair and equitable funding for West Sussex.’

11.2   An amendment was moved by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health and seconded by Mrs Jones as set out below:

          ‘The Council notes the vital role played by Public Health, including our hugely successful vaccination and immunisation programmes, support for those wanting to stop smoking, and otherwise helping West Sussex residents to lead healthier lives by avoiding diseases and unplanned pregnancies.; and notes with grave concernTthe announcement of a further £85 million cut to the Public Health Budget in 2019/20, as one of 12 ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the 2018 parliamentary term before Christmas, was in line with national cuts to local government public health functions over the last five consecutive years.  This is particularly challenging in West Sussex due to its vast geography, scale and range of deprivation across the countyonly weeks after the Secretary of State for Health described ‘prevention’ as his priority.

The Council further notes the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3 billion a year is required to reverse the impact of the Government’s cuts to the Public Health Grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need; and the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.

This Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of West Sussex healthy and to which avoids more costly admissions to hospitals and other interventions by the our NHS, and that this should be properly funded by central government.

This was endorsed by the Chief Executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, following his visit to West Sussex on 21 January 2019, when he said: “It is frankly inspiring to hear of the positioning of the public’s health and community engagement at the heart of everything you do – the Council, Boroughs and NHS together, with public health expertise embedded across the whole of the Council”.

The Council resolves to:

(1)     Thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across West Sussex despite the continued financial challenges;

(2)     Express disappointment at Condemn the timing just before the Christmas break to ‘sneak out’ announcements such as this;

(3)     Call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health to consider carefully how best to implement any necessary changes the required cuts to services which will result from continued government cuts to the budget; and

(4)     Ask the Leader and Cabinet Member to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach, and fair and equitable funding for West Sussex.’

11.3   The amendment was accepted and was carried.

11.4   The amended motion, as set out below, was agreed.

          ‘The Council notes the vital role played by Public Health, including our hugely successful vaccination and immunisation programmes, support for those wanting to stop smoking, and otherwise helping West Sussex residents to lead healthier lives by avoiding diseases and unplanned pregnancies.   The announcement of a further £85 million cut to the Public Health Budget in 2019/20, as one of 12 ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the 2018 parliamentary term before Christmas was in line with national cuts to local government public health functions over the last five consecutive years.  This is particularly challenging in West Sussex due to its vast geography, scale and range of deprivation across the county.

The Council further notes the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3 billion a year is required to reverse the impact of the Government’s cuts to the Public Health Grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need; and the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.

This Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of West Sussex healthy whichavoids more costly admissions to hospitals and other interventions by the NHS, and that this should be properly funded by central government.

This was endorsed by the Chief Executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, following his visit to West Sussex on 21 January 2019, when he said: “It is frankly inspiring to hear of the positioning of the public’s health and community engagement at the heart of everything you do – the Council, Boroughs and NHS together, with public health expertise embedded across the whole of the Council”.

The Council resolves to:

(1)     Thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across West Sussex despite thecontinued financial challenges;

(2)     Express disappointment at the timing just before Christmas;

(3)     Call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health to consider carefully how best to implement any necessary changesto services which will result from continued government cuts to the budget; and

(4)     Ask the Leader and Cabinet Member to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach, and fair and equitable funding for West Sussex.’