Health
‘Let’s place our trust in the local’, urges Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury has today urged the Government to follow the clergy’s historic commitment to ‘localism’ rather than ‘determining the daily details of our lives’.
How do we get safe track and trace?
Councils’ work to keep communities safe in the months ahead will be remembered, says Pascale Robinson – 'and it will be clear in the years to come who called for a safe, locally led track and trace'.
Social care directors ‘envious’ of NHS
A representative of local government social care directors has told MPs they view better-resourced health counterparts with ‘envy’.
COVID-19: A lesson from Italy
Dr Arianna Giovannini says that while Italy's approach to tackling COVID-19 is not perfect, its model 'can have a much more positive effect on policy decisions and crisis management than centralised, place-blind responses'.
Councils plead for further devolution
Local authorities require more devolved powers to drive improvements in health and social care, MPs have been told.
Tackling inequalities is everyone’s business in Birmingham
Tomorrow’s report to Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet makes it clear that tackling inequalities is everyone’s battle and everyone’s business, says Cllr John Cotton.
Scotland launches launches plans for National Care Service
Scotland’s first minister has launched a review aimed at nationalising care services north of the border.
Government late to involve councils in coronavirus testing, report finds
Central government was late to consider how councils could help ramp up coronavirus testing in the early days of the crisis, according to a new think-tank report.
'Glacial and ungracious' change to a more local track, trace and isolate programme
'We have the grotesque spectacle of a spatchcock national track and trace strategy administered by remote and costly private organisations struggling to match phone numbers to names', says Paul Wheeler.
Regulators refusing to make care home deaths public
Regulators are keeping the COVID-19 death tolls at individual care homes secret in part to protect the interests of providers before a possible second spike in coronavirus cases, it is revealed.
New scheme to support self-isolating workers does not go ‘far enough’, Burnham says
Mayor Andy Burnham has criticised the Government’s announcement of a new payment for people who are self-isolating, arguing it ‘goes nowhere near far enough’.
Fifth of care homes took on COVID patients, survey reveals
One in five care homes had to accept patients discharged from hospital who had tested positive for COVID-19 during the early part of the pandemic, a survey has found.
Hancock under pressure on anti-obesity plans following PHE closure
Health secretary Matt Hancock is under growing pressure today to say who will take responsibility for the national fight against obesity following his decision to close down Public Health England (PHE).
We must find a way to invest in our future
The ‘hidden harms’ to children over the past six months will be uncovered when schools fully open in September. We need an urgent and transparent discussion about funding, says Jenny Coles.
MPs call for 'urgent and targeted' support to avoid 'blunt' lockdown
Three MPs have written to health secretary Matt Hancock calling for ‘urgent and targeted support’ to address the surge in coronavirus cases in Oldham and avoid the need for a harder lockdown.
A Sisyphean task for health and social care?
Magda Stainton at Veredus looks at the issue of health and social care integration, and ponders if things would improve under ownership of the NHS.
Public health must not be downplayed by PHE’s abolition
To start tearing down structures like PHE while the pandemic still rages and when the wider preventative issues of public health have been recognised as integral to slowing down the spread of the virus seems reckless, says Michael Burton.
Ex-ministers unite in health devolution call
Five former ministers from all three main parties have called for health and social care to be devolved and integrated within a single budget.
Riding the second wave
Donna Hall says local government has never been so loved as people realise the power of community, the power of neighbourhood and above all, the power of local
London leaders hit out at PM's failure to engage
The Mayor of London and leader of London Councils have written to the Prime Minister protesting that COVID contingency plans for the capital have been drawn up without them.
