Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Health presented a report on the responsibilities and implications of the transfer of the public health function from NHS North East London and the City (NHS NELC) to the Council under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 with effect from 1 April 2013.

The Cabinet Member welcomed the return after almost 40 years of the leading public health role for local authorities and explained that the current proposals focussed on the establishment of key staffing and governance / constitutional arrangements.  Further proposals aimed at ensuring a successful transition would be forthcoming in due course through the ongoing work with the shadow Health and Wellbeing Board and partners.

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services to make arrangements for the appointment of a Director of Public Health to serve Barking and Dagenham by means of transfer or TUPE arrangement, in line with Department of Health proposals following the Health and Social Care Act 2012;

  (ii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services to explore options for sharing public health functions / services with other local authorities, as referred to in paragraph 4.3 of the report;

 (iii)  To note the national approach taken to transferring staff from NHS organisations to the Council, including the implications for the initial transitional structure for the public health function at the point of transfer on 1 April 2013, as set out in paragraph 5 of the report;

 (iv)  To note the indicative Public Health Grant of £11.019 million for 2013/14; and

  (v)  That, in line with the new responsibilities, the Council’s strategic priorities be reviewed to ensure that ‘Health’ was appropriately aligned to the Council’s core business.