We fundamentally disagree with the government’s approach to the NHS. The disastrous Health & Social Care Act needs to be repealed, and funding increased. As councillors, we have a duty to scrutinise and challenge proposals which we believe will be detrimental to local health services, and to engage constructively to improve proposals where we can. Current proposals will mean that many services could be relocated out of Southend. We must also remember that, whilst Southend Hospital has rightly been the focus of much attention, improvements in primary care are even more critical to the health and wellbeing of people in the town. We will expand the public sector provision of Adult Social Care and drive up standards.

Labour’s promises 

1. Oppose any proposals that are not in the interest of patient care in Southend, and continue to champion a health service for all, free at the point of use.
2. Pro-actively support the development of health centres, where appropriate as a partnership between council and NHS.
3. Re-focus public health spending on core priorities, with an evidence-led approach to encourage successful programmes and discontinue those which have not proved effective.
4. Promote public and/or cooperative models of care provision in Adult Social Care, and increase monitoring of the quality and standard of care across the whole sector.
5. Embed the principle of parity of esteem for mental health services in all we do, and in particular improve access to mental health services for children and young people