Let the local community have a say before making changes to health provision says Cllr Jerry Roodhouse

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group, has written again to the local papers about the NHS "Sustainability Plan" and the need for a public debate before changes are made.

Dear Editor,

The recent publicity surrounding the "Sustainability Transformation Plans" or STPs as they are known has highlighted the growing disconnect that is taking place between local communities and the organisations that are making their plans in order to present them to the Department of Health, no consultation, no discussions with local people or even local focus groups and nothing to explain the pressures that are building up in the system.

The STPs will be agreed in London Department for Health and then we will be consulted if needs be. The test of any genuine consultation and engagement is what changes or improvements can be made? As Prof Andy Hardy who chairs the process in Coventry & Warwickshire recently said: "For too long, the focus has been on supporting our communities when they're in crisis or ill rather than on keeping them healthy and independent. "This is an old fashioned way to care for people which is often unequal across the same area and more expensive than helping keep people well in the first place" So prevention is better, it is a shame that the Government has therefore cut Public Health funding along with reductions elsewhere. It is clear that change is coming the Coventry & Warwickshire STP plan will be looking 5 years ahead and the word "sustainability" is used which normally means that there will be savings to be made.

We are told St Cross is safe, but we are a growing town we have increasing pressures and I would certainly expect to see the services provided expanded at St Cross especially to meet the growing demands. The Clinical Commissioning Group CCG will also have to bear its part of the STP but we need to ensure that they also provide the local services needed. There is general agreement that a discussion needs to start as Chris Hopson CEO of the NHS Providers stated "that a public conversation is needed now" we all recognise the pressures and growing demands. Surely a good place to start this public conversation would be Warwickshire's Health Scrutiny Committee taking the lead after all that is where locally elected Councillors sit and at least there are accountable.

Yours

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse Leader Liberal Democrat Group.

This letter was published in the Rugby Observer on 15 September 2016