In the Assembly Chamber this week, Shadow Minister for Local Government and North Wales AM Mark Isherwood relayed the concerns raised in Flintshire regarding the Welsh Government’s proposed new framework for Continuing Health Care for both children and young people and adults.
Continuing health care is provided over an extended period of time to address physical or mental health needs which cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services.
In a Spokesperson’s Question to the Minister for Housing and Local Government during Wednesday’s Plenary session, Mr Isherwood said an e-mail sent in August to local and regional Assembly Members and Members of Parliament representing Flintshire by the Flintshire Social and Healthcare Overview and Scrutiny Committee, after they had considered the Welsh Government's Continuing Health Care consultations for both children and young people and adults, detailed concerns about the proposed framework.
He said:
“They said that Members felt the information and changes detailed in the proposed framework would be detrimental to local authorities across Wales, that the framework is not worded clearly in a fashion that would reduce disputes between the Health Board and their services, where a number of cases are currently in dispute in the county, and that lack of clarity will further impact on this issue, which will have a considerable impact on staff time and resources.
“They said the new framework would result in even greater financial pressure, and a number of care packages, currently funded by the local health board or jointly with the local health board, no longer becoming eligible for continuing healthcare funding and becoming the sole responsibility of the Local Authority. And, finally, they said that the framework continues to be unable to reconcile the use of direct payments, as an individual will not be eligible to use a direct payment to fund primary health needs, leading to a clash in the principle of consistency and control. This goes to the core, not only of local authority working, but of the local (Public) Services boards and the regional partnership boards. And I appreciate you can't comment on the outcome of a consultation, but how will you respond to the wider issues that this particular council committee has evidenced?”
In her response, the Minister stated: “It's early days for the way that these two boards work together. It's early days for the public services boards. And, obviously, the regional partnership boards are even more recent in their inception.
She added: “We need to do some work with the Welsh Local Government Association, and the two Deputy Ministers have taken forward the work on how those two things hold together. And we will be, of course, taking all the learning from scrutiny committees and scrutiny arrangements from around Wales, to take into account that learning.”
Speaking outside the Chamber Mr Isherwood added: “Flintshire County Council’s Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee also expressed concern that the proposed framework appears to be in conflict with the pledge in the Welsh Government’s ‘A Healthier Wales. Our plan for health and social Care’ document to “improve the experience and quality of care for individuals…” and to “Increase the value achieved from funding and care through improvement...and eliminating waste.”.
Mr Isherwood also questioned the Minister over Government Social Research’s report, 'Leadership development and talent management in local authorities in
Wales', and its recommendations that Local authorities should consider developing mechanisms to include the voice of the citizen to inform its workforce planning activities, and over the recommendations made in the Auditor General for Wales’ report on public services boards.
