Health proposals welcomed in Rochdale

"Great news for Rochdale," says Dr Jane Rossini

NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale (HMR) and Rochdale Borough Council have welcomed today’s (Tuesday 30 November 2010) publication of the government’s future proposals for public health.

Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England sets out the government’s vision to create a new Public Health Service within the local authority to integrate and streamline existing health improvement and protection bodies and functions, including an increased emphasis on research, analysis and evaluation.

The service will also be responsible for vaccination and screening programmes, as well as the management of public health emergencies.

The White Paper, which talks about a “new era for public health” outlines a ‘commitment’ to protecting the population from serious health threats, helping people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling live; and improving the health of the poorest, fastest.

The proposal document reads: “Subject to Parliament, local government and local communities will be at the heart of improving health and wellbeing for their populations and tackling inequalities.

“A new integrated public health service – Public Health England – will be created to ensure excellence, expertise and responsiveness, particularly on health protection, where a national response is vital.”

It is hoped the changes will “empower local leadership and encourage wide responsibility across society to improve everyone’s health and wellbeing, and tackle the wide factors that influence it.”


Dr Jane Rossini, Director of Public Health for the Rochdale Borough, who is jointly appointed between the council and NHS said: “This is great news for the Rochdale borough in helping to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population. It gives us the opportunity to work even more closely with locally elected people and positions prevention and wellbeing right at the heart of the council and future GP commissioning consortia. Rochdale borough people have told is that saying healthy is very important to them and this new white paper will help ensure that preventing ill health is given top priority.”

The Department of Health will create a ring fenced public health budget with health improvement funds allocated according to local health need.

“A ring fenced budget will really help us to reduce the health inequalities we face not only within the borough, but also with the rest of the country,” added Dr Rossini.

Dr Julie Higgins, Chief Executive of NHS HMR said: “This is a very welcome development and our GP consortia will be able to work closely with public health and the council to make sure people have the right access to services to help them adopt healthy lifestyles and avoid the development of long term conditions that can affect their health.”

Roger Ellis, Chief Executive of the council said: “Rochdale Borough Council has a good track record of working with the NHS and other partners to improve the health of our local people and this new arrangement will help us to achieve more on this vital topic.”

From January onwards, there will be a series of consultation events across the borough about the White Paper proposals and members of the public are encouraged to have their say.

“Our health and wellbeing affects us all and should be a high topic on everyone’s agenda,” said Dr Rossini. “We’ll be focusing on what the plans mean for our borough, but it’s important that local people also understand their role in improving their own health and wellbeing and preventing ill health.”

Read the full White Paper by visiting: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthyliveshealthypeople/index.htm

The White Paper outlines that the Public Health Service will transfer into the local authority by 2012. Further details about the consultation events will be issued nearer the time.