Maternity services. Volume II, Minutes of evidence.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee
Date:
1992
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Maternity services. Volume II, Minutes of evidence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    6 November 1991] [Continued ANNEX C HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES Priorities for Health 1. The Government’s priorities are to develop policies designed to: — improve the health and well being of the population; — reduce and where possible prevent illness; — ensure that excellence in the quality of care is combined with value for money in its delivery and service to the customer. These objectives provide the framework for recent policy White Papers and legislation. An objective specifically related to improving primary health care in inner cities is to introduce measures to encourage doctors, dentists and pharmacists to remain or to set up in deprived areas. One of the White Paper themes was a greater emphasis on identifying and meeting individual needs and making the Health Service more responsive to the needs of patients by delegating as much power and responsibility to local level as possible. Priorities for Personal Social Services 2. The Government’s priorities are: — to encourage care for vulnerable individuals wherever possible within their own homes, with support which is least disruptive to ordinary living; — where home support is no longer adequate, to make alternative arrangements to maintain normal lifestyles and, as far as possible, satisfy the full range of physical, emotional and social needs. Role of the Urban Programme 3. There are opportunities for local authorities to support, through UP health and personal social services projects, the objectives outlined above and those for the UP as a whole. They will complement economic and environmental initiatives to encourage self-reliance within communities as part of comprehensive strategies to bring about inner city renewal. 4. The following are examples of the types of projects which might be supported through the UP. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 5. A variety of UP projects, based on local priorities, can heighten awareness of the factors affecting good health and develop preventive strategies to promote health and minimise instability among elderly people and those at risk from mental illness, mental handicap or alcohol abuse. Health Care 6. Local Authorities may be able to play an important role in helping primary health care teams to acquire suitable and easily accessible premises. Projects in which local authorities can work in co-operation with Family Health Authorities to assist doctors in deprived areas will help to reduce the variations in health and health care. Projects which assist co-operation between health and social services authorities in the implementation of the Government’s community care proposals will be a priority in inner cities. Homeless Mentally Ill People 7. An initiative for central funding of additional specialised hostels and counselling for single homeless people in London in need of psychiatric treatment was announced in July 1990. It is hoped that this initiative will encourage both statutory and voluntary agencies in other areas, including inner cities, to arrange projects offering suitable servies to the homeless mentally ill. Personal Social Services: Children and Young People 8. The Children Act 1990 should refocus work with families and children in need. Examples of the types of projects which the Government would particularly wish to encourage are those designed to promote: — parental involvement by informing parents and encouraging them to take up services and to participate; — community involvement in the planning and delivery of services and in identifying need;