"Our priorities for the local NHS are improved front-line services and improved efficiency, management and accountability," says Councillor Peter Jones, Leader of East Sussex County Council.
"We believe this is the most sensible way forward and we are urging the public and our partners to support this proposal."
The proposed changes are intended to release funding from NHS management and administrative costs to reinvest in front-line services. In addition, the County Council believes that a single PCT would bring the following benefits:
- better fit with existing arrangements for delivering adult and children's services
- improved partnership working to tackle joint challenges
- a more coherent approach to delivering local and national priorities
- increased efficiency by avoiding duplication in planning arrangements and decision making on key developments.
A single PCT across the whole of East Sussex would help streamline the important relationships between health and the County Council’s Adult Social Care and Children's Services to improve the health of people in the county, particularly vulnerable adults and children.
Cabinet also supported the creation of two Strategic Health Authorities and two Ambulance Trusts for the area covered by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE).
Notes to editors
In December 2005, Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SSSHA) launched local consultations on the future boundaries for National Health Service (NHS) organisations in the area as part of a national reconfiguration exercise.
For East Sussex the proposals are:
- A reduction in the number of PCTs from four to either one or two, with the favoured option being one
- The amalgamation of the Sussex, Surrey and Kent Ambulance Trusts
- The creation of either
i) a SHA for the GOSE region, or
ii) one SHA for Kent, Medway, Surrey and Sussex and another for Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The formal consultation period runs for 14 weeks and ends on 22 March 2006. The current plan to establish the new organisations has a start date of April 2006 for Ambulance Trusts, and July 2006 onwards for SHAs and PCTs.
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