End distinction between health and social care and remove ring-fencing, say London Councils

The distinction between health and social care should be relaxed to make it easier to target funding where it is most needed, London Councils has argued.

In its submission to the NHS White Paper, the group also called on the government to rethink its proposal to abolish the current statutory health overview and scrutiny committees that ensure accountability of health providers. London Councils proposed that an overview and scrutiny function is retained instead as a committee of the main health and wellbeing board.

It also urged the government to end the ring-fencing of health funds, “the knock on effect of which is to place a greater squeeze on local government social care budgets, as well as other parts of the public sector which help to keep people well”.

The submission claimed that London’s local authorities are uniquely placed to support GPs to take on greater responsibility for health care commissioning. While recognising that the Health Secretary wants to give GPs flexibility in how they group together in commissioning consortia, it said there are benefits of groups establishing themselves in reference to borough boundaries. This would maximise opportunities for joint working between health and local government, London Councils suggested.

The group added that local government in London “stands ready to make an offer to GP consortia to support them in their health care commissioning activities, building on the existing experience that local government has in joint commissioning arrangements across health and social care".

Cllr Colin Barrow, London Councils’ executive for health and adult services, said: "London local government has led the way in working more closely with health services to deliver a better deal and better services for residents, and so we are ideally placed to ensure the government’s reforms are a success.

"But in turn for our support, we want government to recognise what we need to deliver lasting public health improvements: an end to the arbitrary ring fencing of health funds and local flexibility to make best use of available health and social care funding in ways that best meet the needs of our communities."