HEALTH

Hancock announces plans to share more data

Health secretary Matt Hancock has announced plans to share more data with local government in a bid to help track and trace COVID-19 cases more effectively.

Health secretary Matt Hancock has announced plans to share more data with local government in a bid to help track and trace COVID-19 cases more effectively.

Despite maintaining in the past that local authorities had all the data they need, the health secretary said he would share more data at a local level.

He told Parliament: ‘We are publishing more data, and sharing more data with local bodies.

‘Properly used, data is one of the best epidemiological weapons that we have.

‘From last month, local directors of public health have had postcode-level data about outbreaks in their area. And from today, as I committed to the House last week, we are going further and we are putting enhanced levels of data in the hands of local directors of public health too.'

Vice chair of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, Cllr Paulette Hamilton, said: ‘This will help give the level of detail needed for councils' directors of public health and their teams to track down and isolate future flare-ups, to stop them spreading even further.

‘Councils need all the tools at their disposal to help with locating and preventing future local outbreaks of coronavirus in their communities.'

HEALTH

Concern over London borough's improvement 'buy-in'

By Martin Ford | 15 July 2025

Envoys have questioned the commitment of councillors and staff to the ‘improvement journey’ at Tower Hamlets LBC.

HEALTH

Care prevention spending drops by 10%

By Izzy Lepone | 15 July 2025

Overstretched budgets mean that care leaders have been forced to reduce spending on prevention by more than 10% this year, a survey has revealed.

HEALTH

Future-proofing devolution

By Professor John Denham | 14 July 2025

Devolution will need strong statutory underpinning and a long-term, cross-departmental ambition if it is to succeed, say Professor John Denham and Sir David ...

HEALTH

Government letting down families on social care, says Dilnot

By Lee Peart | 14 July 2025

Governments of all colours have underfunded means-tested social care provision by local government for 20 years, says economist Andrew Dilnot. Lee Peart repo...

Heather Jameson

Popular articles by Heather Jameson