To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 319(a)) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Connett and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely:
Devon County Council notes:
· the vital role played by Public Health in helping Devon residents to lead healthier lives by, for example, avoiding diseases, unwanted pregnancies, support to stop smoking, and eating better;
· with grave concern the announcement of a further £85m cut to the Public Health Budget, as one of 12 Ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the Parliamentary term before Christmas, only weeks after the Secretary of State for Health described prevention as his priority; and
· this is on top of cuts to the Public Health budget announced since Summer 2015, now totalling just over £600 million.
This Council meeting further notes:
· the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3bn a year is required to reverse the impact of government cuts to the Public Health grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need;
· the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies; and
· this Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of Devon healthy and to avoid more costly admissions to hospital and other interventions by our NHS and that this should be properly funded by central Government.
This Council meeting resolves to:
· thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across Devon despite continued financial challenges;
· condemn the Government’s use of the time just before Christmas to make announcements such as this;
· call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member to consider carefully the required cuts to services will be implemented; and
· ask the Leader and Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a “prevention first” approach.
Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report (CSO/19/9) and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting the Cabinet subsequently resolved that the Council:
(a) be asked to endorse the work of the Director of Public Health and the team in managing the Public Health Grant cuts and the challenges that this causes for improving the health of the population by thinking and working innovatively and creatively with wider partners to support improved outcomes;
(b) note that Budget announcements are known to arrive at this time of year and there will be transparency about the implications of that budget as part of the Council’s budget setting process;
(c) note that the budget has been set for 2019/20 and no reductions are currently planned or required as the budget reductions have been managed over time and were reported as early as 2016 and that impact assessments will also continue to be undertaken; and
(d) be asked to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care seeking increased investment in Public Health and assurance that the investment in prevention in the NHS will support primary prevention and early intervention as well as secondary and tertiary prevention.
Minutes:
Pursuant to County Council Minute 186 of 21 February 2019 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Connett that:
Devon County Council notes:
· the vital role played by Public Health in helping Devon residents to lead healthier lives by, for example, avoiding diseases, unwanted pregnancies, support to stop smoking, and eating better;
· with grave concern the announcement of a further £85m cut to the Public Health Budget, as one of 12 Ministerial statements published by the Government on the last day of the Parliamentary term before Christmas, only weeks after the Secretary of State for Health described prevention as his priority; and
· this is on top of cuts to the Public Health budget announced since Summer 2015, now totalling just over £600 million.
This Council meeting further notes:
· the comments of the Health Foundation, who described these cuts as a false economy and who have calculated that an additional £3bn a year is required to reverse the impact of government cuts to the Public Health grant to date and have called for this increased budget to be allocated according to need;
· the warnings from the King’s Fund that such cuts could put pressure on councils to cut non-statutory sexual health prevention services, which could lead to more sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies; and
· this Council believes that our Public Health team perform vital work to help keep the residents of Devon healthy and to avoid more costly admissions to hospital and other interventions by our NHS and that this should be properly funded by central Government.
This Council meeting resolves to:
· thank our Director of Public Health and her team for the great work they do across Devon despite continued financial challenges;
· condemn the Government’s use of the time just before Christmas to make announcements such as this;
· call on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member to consider carefully the required cuts to services will be implemented; and
· ask the Leader and Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health, calling on the Government to deliver increased investment in Public Health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a “prevention first” approach.
and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 13 of March 2019:
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that the Council:
(a) be asked to endorse the work of the Director of Public Health and the team in managing the Public Health Grant cuts and the challenges that this causes for improving the health of the population by thinking and working innovatively and creatively with wider partners to support improved outcomes;
(b) note that Budget announcements are known to arrive at this time of year and there will be transparency about the implications of that budget as part of the Council’s budget setting process;
(c) note that the budget has been set for 2019/20 and no reductions are currently planned or required as the budget reductions have been managed over time and were reported as early as 2016 and that impact assessments will also continue to be undertaken; and
(d) be asked to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care seeking increased investment in Public Health and assurance that the investment in prevention in the NHS will support primary prevention and early intervention as well as secondary and tertiary prevention.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.