Health
A green paper for change
The delay in providing a strategy for social care and wellbeing is impacting not just the care sector, but other key services around the country. To promote discussion the LGA has produced its own green paper looking beyond social care, as Izzi Seccombe explains.
ACOs’ need local flavour
Accountable Care Organisations could help deliver health and social care integration, but if they are to be successful, local government cannot be excluded from the conversation, argues Nathan East.
Better Care Fund stand-off continues
The stand-off between the Local Government Association (LGA) and Better Care Fund (BCF) officials will continue after Smith Square refused to endorse the latest guidance.
Council demands Government funding to complete hospital
Government funding has been demanded to jumpstart a project to build a hospital that stalled after the collapse of Carillion.
Simon Stevens outlines 'opportunity to review' Better Care Fund
The social care green paper and NHS’ 10-year plan provides an ‘opportunity to review’ the Better Care Fund (BCF), NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has suggested.
Public finances perform better than expected
The public finances continue to perform better than expectations, although total borrowing is up year-on-year even before the promised increase in health spending, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Without local government the NHS won’t make 80
Let’s allow the NHS to thrive with the help of its older sibling, writes Cllr David Hodge.
Making the most of the NHS birthday money
Cllr Alan White demands confirmation of funding to maintain public health and adult social care.
Green Paper 'must address cash shortfalls'
MPs have urged ministers not to ignore ‘worrying’ declines in social care budgets as the UK prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS.
Let local government drive health care
Back in 1954, secretary of state for health in the UK, Aneurin Bevan, examined reforming local government and the role it plays in the health of the nation in an article for The MJ
Making the break from centralism
As the NHS hits its 70th birthday, Jon Rouse talks to Heather Jameson about the progress of the Manchester health devolution and whether Bevan’s vision for the NHS is being realised
Put health and care on an equal level
There cannot be a sustainable NHS without a sustainable social care system, and the two co-dependent services need to given parity, as Aneurin Bevan recognised. Cllr Izzi Seccombe argues that the Government needs to address the crisis in social care funding by providing councils directly with extra cash to plug the gap.
Cash injection for the NHS
Bob Neill celebrates the NHS budget rise of £20.5bn by 2023/24
How developing technology could be the home care sector’s remedy
The community and residential care sector is at a tipping point, with the challenges it faces thrown into sharp focus via recent cases of providers seeking financial rescue plans as the climate gets tougher.
Social care green paper delayed - again
The long-awaited social care green paper has been further delayed until the autumn after repeated Whitehall insistencies it was on track.
Make social care ‘free at the point of need’
Social care should be ‘free at the point of need’ like the NHS, a bold new report into the health and care system has recommended.
Rising social care costs spell doom for services
Council spending on adult social care is squeezing cash out of other services, fresh analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has shown.
There is no room for heroes in today's health and care landscape
Ewan King explains why systems leadership is more important than ever in the age of integrated care systems.
NHS crisis for its 70th
Two major reports this month said it would not be possible to maintain current levels of health and care service provision without passing the burden on to residents through increased taxes. Sam Clayden reports.
Local government is 130 years old, but will it see its next decade?
The NHS's 70th birthday has been given significant news coverage, but Abdool Kara warns local government's pressures need similar attention.