On 29 March 2021 the Department of Health and Social Care published a policy paper, setting out reforms to the public health system in England.
At the heart of the government proposals in the forthcoming Health and Care Bill is the concept of population health: using the collective resources and strengths of the local system, the NHS, local authorities, the voluntary sector and others to improve the health of their area.
The government is aiming to achieve stronger local systems. They recognise that local authorities play a central role in providing local leadership for health improvement, commissioning public health services locally, and influencing local action to address the wider determinants of health and health inequalities for both physical and mental health.
The policy paper can be accessed here:
To support central government with their next steps of the reforms they are inviting feedback on the following questions:
- How can they strengthen the local authority and Director of Public Health role in addressing the full range of issues that affect the health of local populations?
- How do they ensure that future arrangements encourage effective collaboration between national, regional and local actors across the system?
- What additional arrangements might be needed to ensure that regionally focussed public health teams best meet the needs of local government and local NHS partners?
The survey can be completed by an individual or an organisation and can be accessed here.
We recommend that all local VCSE organisations that deliver a health and social care service consider completing the survey.