Agenda item

It was moved by Councillor Dawson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne that:

Proposed NHS Changes Affecting Principally Southport, Formby And West Lancashire Communities

A.             Council Notes:

1.             That managers of major NHS units and ‘management consultants’ have spent the past three years involved in a largely-secret and unaccountable process of developing options/proposals for significant changes in the siteing and manner of provision of many hospital services in the Merseyside, south Lancashire and Cheshire area, which changes are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the residents of Southport and Formby.

2.             That the Secretary of State for Health in England has just been declared by the High Court to have breached the law in respect of required transparency within the NHS.

3.             That NHS organisations in the Southport, Formby and West Lancashire area have recently announced and publicised a ‘community engagement’ exercise which does not constitute any meaningful consultation about any proposal.

4.             That one of the clear stated aims of the new NHS White Paper and the Secretary of State in justifying a major management upheaval at this difficult time has been to give himself more power over decisions being made in various parts of the NHS in England, which would likely decrease local accountability and transparency of decision making.

B.             Council commits itself: 

1.             To oppose strongly any significant reductions in quality, quantity or accessibility of NHS hospital or community health services for residents of any part of the Borough of Sefton.

2.             To support a truly NATIONAL Health Service, free at the point of use and integrated as closely as possible with Social Care provision and accountable locally to persons elected democratically.

3.             To support the integration of Health & Social Care provision and reform of care service finance provided that this is done through a process of decision-making which is transparent, open and democratic, and that the outcome of such a process is fair in particular to frail, disadvantaged and/or disabled citizens.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Moncur, seconded by Councillor Cummins that the Motion be amended by:

replacing the following words in the title of the Motion:

“Principally Southport, Formby and West Lancashire Communities” with the words “The Communities of Sefton” so that the title reads:

“Proposed NHS Changes Affecting the Communities of Sefton”;

that the word “significant” be deleted from paragraph B1;

that the words “properly resourced truly National” be inserted after the letter “a” in the first sentence of paragraph B2; and

That the words “including reform and increasing care” be inserted after the word “provision” in the first sentence of paragraph B3.

Following a debate on the amendment it was unanimously:

RESOLVED:           That:

PROPOSED NHS CHANGES AFFECTING THE COMMUNITIES OF SEFTON

A.  Council Notes:

1.   That managers of major NHS units and ‘management consultants’ have spent the past three years involved in a largely-secret and unaccountable process of developing options/proposals for significant changes in the siteing and manner of provision of many hospital services in the Merseyside, south Lancashire and Cheshire area, which changes are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the residents of Southport and Formby.

2.   That the Secretary of State for Health in England has just been declared by the High Court to have breached the law in respect of required transparency within the NHS.

3.   That NHS organisations in the Southport, Formby and West Lancashire area have recently announced and publicised a ‘community engagement’ exercise which does not constitute any meaningful consultation about any proposal.

4.   That one of the clear stated aims of the new NHS White Paper and the Secretary of State in justifying a major management upheaval at this difficult time has been to give himself more power over decisions being made in various parts of the NHS in England, which would likely decrease local accountability and transparency of decision making.

B. Council commits itself: 

1.   To oppose strongly any reductions in quality, quantity or accessibility of NHS hospital or community health services for residents of any part of the Borough of Sefton.

2.   To support a properly resourced truly National Health Service, free at the point of use and integrated as closely as possible with Social Care provision and accountable locally to persons elected democratically.

3.   To support the integration of Health & Social Care provision including reform and increasing care service finance provided that this is done through a process of decision-making which is transparent, open and democratic, and that the outcome of such a process is fair in particular to frail, disadvantaged and/or disabled citizens.