SBC joins the Early Implementers’ Network

Southend is among 132 councils which has joined an 'Early Implementers Network' tasked with establishing new 'health and wellbeing boards' by April 2013.

The aim of the boards is to strip away the existing divisions between the NHS and local authorities.

This will give them a greater say in the services needed to provide care for local people and tackle the wider factors affecting health such as transport, housing and leisure services. 

The ambition is that all local authorities create 'shadow' health and wellbeing boards by April 2012.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, fully-fledged boards will be up and running in April 2013 - at the same time as GP consortia take on responsibility for the NHS budget.

The boards will act as a forum for those who buy services across the NHS, public health, social care and children's services, elected representatives and representatives from HealthWatch.

They will enable these different organisations to come together to talk about how they can work with each other to better the health and wellbeing of people in their area.

Councillor Anna Waite, Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care and Housing, said: "This Council has a detailed understanding of the public health needs of our residents.

"But up until now we haven't had suitable arrangements in place to allow us to work with our local NHS partners to provide the best possible standards of health and wellbeing for them.

"We have been involved in some good partnership work with our local NHS but there is always room for improvement and we must strive to better integrate our health and social care services.

"The health and wellbeing board we are committed to setting up will bring our social care and children's services together with the local NHS and public health bodies.

"This will ensure we align our resources, effort and actions in order to support personalised care and community-based support."