The third model focused upon the Assembly Technical Working Paper: 'Localism and Partnership Working'. It is argued that this can best be achieved by a system of District Health Planning Teams - one for each unitary authority. These teams should include a Mental Health Promotion specialist, a Public Health Leader not necessarily 'medical doctors', representatives of local GPs, Community nurses, local statutory and voluntary service providers, the Community Health Council, service user and carer representatives and general local community interests. It is essential that the medical model should not dominate. Therefore a template of planning for public health should be adopted. Local Health, Social Care and Well-Being Strategies would fit and influence here, guided by an agreed Public Health Strategy framework. This would replace the proposed SRG.
The Team should be led and co-ordinated by a District Health Co-ordinator responsible to the new LHB with a (very) small number of support staff - perhaps one admin worker, and one collator of views and information from published sources and from local partnership/consultation exercises - although it is recognised that some flexibility and variation in size according to population would be required. There would also be scope for close dialogue with the proposed CHC Area committees and local CVC health, social care and wellbeing facilitators.
The Team's remit, with local authority and perhaps Public Health NHS Trust support should be to identify the health and social care needs of the local community and propose how those needs should be met within a priority framework. Its recommendations should be submitted for approval to the relevant Local Service Board and to the new LHB for action.
The LHB might ask the District Health Planning Team to implement any agreed proposals for improving community services. The LHB itself would need to action proposals for improvements to secondary and tertiary services and consideration would need to be given to joint planning between public health, health and social care.
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