Agenda item

8.27pm – Councillor Ben Coleman moved, seconded by Councillor Lucy Richardson, the special motion in their names:

“This Council:

·       Notes the replacement of Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP;

·      Notes that one of the first matters in Mr Javid’s in-tray will be his predecessor’s proposals for a new Health and Social Care Bill, as set out in in a White Paper of 11 February 2021;

·      Is concerned that the Bill increases the power of the Secretary of State at the expense of local accountability and democracy;

·      Is deeply concerned that the Bill gives the Secretary of State a new power to intervene in local services configuration proposals “where required”, which could end the NHS’s current duty to consult local authorities about substantial variations or reconfigurations of health services and make it easier for the government to close Charing Cross Hospital;

·      Is concerned that the Secretary of State will have a new power over NHS appointments, enabling him to install compliant allies to run the new, regional Integrated Care Systems that bring together the NHS and local authorities;

·      Is concerned about the impact on residents’ health and wellbeing of proposals to transfer unspecified functions from Public Health teams, which are based in Councils close to their communities, to the more remote NHS;

·      Regrets that the White Paper prioritises new government control of Councils’ social care services over new funding as part of a much-needed national plan;

·      Regrets that the White Paper says nothing about requiring the NHS to share data better with Councils, despite the need for this being a key lesson of the Covid pandemic; and

·      Urges the Secretary of State to ensure that the Bill which he takes though Parliament addresses the concerns raised here and does not threaten Charing Cross Hospital by undermining local democracy and accountability.”

Speeches on the motion were made by Councillors Coleman, Richardson, and Cowan (for the Administration) and Councillors Brown and Lloyd Harris (for the Opposition).

Councillor Coleman made a speech winding up the debate before the motion was put to the vote.

FOR                        33

AGAINST                10

NOT VOTING         0

The motion was declared CARRIED.

8.59pm – RESOLVED

This Council:

Notes the replacement of Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP;

·      Notes that one of the first matters in Mr Javid’s in-tray will be his predecessor’s proposals for a new Health and Social Care Bill, as set out in in a White Paper of 11 February 2021;

·      Is concerned that the Bill increases the power of the Secretary of State at the expense of local accountability and democracy;

·      Is deeply concerned that the Bill gives the Secretary of State a new power to intervene in local services configuration proposals “where required”, which could end the NHS’s current duty to consult local authorities about substantial variations or reconfigurations of health services and make it easier for the government to close Charing Cross Hospital;

·      Is concerned that the Secretary of State will have a new power over NHS appointments, enabling him to install compliant allies to run the new, regional Integrated Care Systems that bring together the NHS and local authorities;

·      Is concerned about the impact on residents’ health and wellbeing of proposals to transfer unspecified functions from Public Health teams, which are based in Councils close to their communities, to the more remote NHS;

·      Regrets that the White Paper prioritises new government control of Councils’ social care services over new funding as part of a much-needed national plan;

·      Regrets that the White Paper says nothing about requiring the NHS to share data better with Councils, despite the need for this being a key lesson of the Covid pandemic; and

·      Urges the Secretary of State to ensure that the Bill which he takes though Parliament addresses the concerns raised here and does not threaten Charing Cross Hospital by undermining local democracy and accountability.