NLGN argues for stronger local government role in healthcare provision

The New Local Government Network (NLGN) has a published a new pamphlet calling for an increased role to be given to local councils to manage health services in areas where primary care trusts (PCTs) are currently failing to adequately do so.

Entitled Primary Care Trusts: Tailoring Commissioning, the paper claims that a number of PCTs are currently being inhibited by frequent restructuring and too much centralisation.

The NLGN calls for the leverage of the robust financial and commissioning performance of local authorities in order to boost the performance of these PCTs.

Dr Victoria Barbary, author of the report, said: “Where local authorities perform well and PCTs poorly, there is an opportunity to help PCTs by tapping into councils’ managerial, commissioning and financial skills.

“Involving local authorities in healthcare procurement would offer the possibility of joined-up commissioning across a range of cross-cutting policy areas.”

She added that funds could be moved between different services in order to better suit facilities to differing local needs, while this reformed system would empower both users and providers of healthcare services in England.

In February 2007, the NLGL hosted an event examining the recently-published local government white paper, exploring the potential of these proposals for the delivery of improved healthcare.