The Isle of Wight’s public health service is set to move to a new long-term strategic partnership with Hampshire County Council, subject to approval this month (July) by both authorities.
The Cabinet of the Isle of Wight Council is being asked to approve the move when it meets on 11th July, and Hampshire County Council on 22nd July.
The new partnership – already supported by Public Health England – will build on a successful interim arrangement between the Island’s council and Hampshire which has been in place since January 2018.
The Isle of Wight Council will retain responsibility for public health policy and strategy to best meet the needs of the Island’s community.
Public health services focus on improving the health of the population through a range of statutory and other programmes of work including empowering the population to make healthy choices, protecting them from health harms and working with partners for the best health outcomes.
Councils at ‘upper tier’ level, like the Isle of Wight Council, took over the responsibility for public health from the NHS in April 2013.
The full details of the new partnership, including public health targets and resources needed, are recommended for delegation to the council’s chief executive and Cabinet member responsible for public health.
Councillor Clare Mosdell, Cabinet member responsible for public health, said:
“If approved by the Cabinet and Hampshire County Council, this new partnership will help us to build for the long-term on the interim public health arrangements we already have in place with Hampshire – alongside what has proven to be a very successful arrangement for children’s services.
“It will allow us to fully share knowledge, expertise and resources for the benefit of Island residents in terms of the future provision, development and promotion of public health services.”
Councillor Judith Grajewski, Executive member for public health, Hampshire County Council, said:
“Subject to approval, we look forward to continuing the productive working relationships we have developed with public health colleagues on the Island, designed to ensure the very best outcomes for local residents, both young and old, in the short and longer term.”
The new partnership would start on 1 August 2019, if agreed by the leadership of both councils.
The report can be viewed via the council’s website at https://www.iow.gov.uk/Meetings/committees/cabinet/11-7-19/agenda.pdf?636977626787069390.
from the report…The Isle of Wight Council’s ring-fenced public health grant for 2019/20 is £7.3m
from appendix A, of the report…
Hampshire County Council will be mindful that any financial charges need to be established within the affordability of the Isle of Wight Council budget and will work with the chief executive of Isle of Wight Council to establish a well managed and well performing Public Health service within the appropriate budgetary envelope.
Reading between the lines – how much is Hampshire going to try and rinse the isle of wight council for when providing services to the Island
as it doesn’t have its own elected director of public health. The last one left the employment of the council and the island has been using
Hampshires ever since. That individual has also left the employment of hampshire council and the deputy is running things.
Yet again, another example of the island quietly being incorporated into hampshire again under the guises of a lot of words
around co-operation and partnerships.
As long as this doesn’t mean more trips to mainland for treatment we USED to have in St Mary’s.
The vision for the Island by the IOW council – their corporate plan, which can be accessed through Paper B and then
appendix A. of the report linked to in the article above.
relevant extract…Page 7.
A growth in our council tax and business rates base from new homes and businesses to generate the
income we need to continue to provide key services to meet the needs of our communities.
……..
And there we have it in black and white – they are not listening to the Islanders and want to build new homes to
increase the council tax take and a “growth in business rates” – what they mean is increase it.
It is no wonder that the council never seem to take any notice of the Islanders, when islanders say the island infrastructure
cannot cope with more houses, when they openly admit to look at growing council tax revenues from new homes.
How many of these housing projects have these rasping vultures approved, just to rake in more cash for themselves.