News

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to an annual report published today by the Office for National Statistics on preventable deaths in the UK in 2016.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to the latest figures published today by NHS England on the delayed transfers of care.

"The harm loneliness can cause, both physically and mentally, can be devastating to people of all ages - it is a serious public health concern which studies suggest can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day."

It’s good to see long-term investment in the NHS, but government also needs to make the same commitment to adult social care which deserves to be given parity with the health service.

"With housing for elderly people currently accounting for just 6 per cent of our existing stock, and more older people and families renting privately than ever before, there needs to be a national focus on tackling a chronic shortage of homes suitable to support our ageing population and reforms that will maintain and improve housing standards."

Cllr Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s Transport spokesman, responds to guidance published today by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, calling for councils to encourage people to be more active.

“Social care needs to be put on an equal footing with the NHS and government needs to address immediate pressures as part of funding gap facing social care, which is set to exceed £2 billion by 2020.”

“Government should first make a down-payment on the green paper by injecting additional resources into the system to fund immediate funding pressures which are set to exceed £2 billion by 2020. This will enable the system to stay afloat until such time as the green paper reforms bring in new resources.”

"When the £2 billion for adult social care was announced by the Government in last year’s Spring Budget, it said this could be spent in three ways – meeting adult social care needs, reducing pressures on the NHS, and ensuring the local provider market was supported."

“Despite significant funding and resource pressures, councils are fulfilling their commitments while also delivering effective budget management."