Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that in a speech on 24^th April, 2012, the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, M.P. argued that funding allocated to Clinical Commissioning Groups should be based on the age of their patient population instead of levels of deprivation;

(b)       further notes research by Durham University public health professor Clare Bambra, that these proposed funding formula changes would see a major transfer of NHS funds from the North to the healthier and more affluent South;

(c)        agrees with comments by Professor Bambra that severing the link with deprivation “will lead to a considerable shift of healthcare funding away from the neediest, poorer areas of the North and the inner cities towards the least needy, most affluent, and most elderly areas of the South.”

(d)       opposes these changes to NHS funding which according to Professor Bambra’s figures could see Sheffield lose over £70 million per year at the same time as the NHS in Surrey would gain over £400 million;

(e)       believes that this is the latest example of the Government taking funding away from areas with the highest levels of deprivation to the benefit of the wealthiest areas in the country; and

(f)         believes this is part of a cynical political move to take money from areas with the most need and divert it to Conservative heartlands and calls on all Sheffield MPs to stand up for Sheffield and oppose changes to funding formulas that would disadvantage areas with the greatest need.

It was moved by Councillor Mary Lea, seconded by Councillor David Barker, that this Council:-

(a)       notes that in a speech on 24^th April, 2012, the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, M.P. argued that funding allocated to Clinical Commissioning Groups should be weighted towards the age of their patient population instead of levels of deprivation;

(b)       further notes research by Durham University public health professor Clare Bambra, that an age only funding formula would see a major transfer of NHS funds from the North to the healthier and more affluent South;

(c)        agrees with comments by Professor Bambra that severing the link with deprivation “will lead to a considerable shift of healthcare funding away from the neediest, poorer areas of the North and the inner cities towards the least needy, most affluent, and most elderly areas of the South.”

(d)       opposes changes to NHS funding which according to Professor Bambra’s figures could see Sheffield lose over £70 million per year at the same time as the NHS in Surrey would gain over £400 million;

(e)       believes that this is the latest example of the Government taking funding away from areas with the highest levels of deprivation to the benefit of the wealthiest areas in the country; and

(f)         believes this is part of a cynical political move to take money from areas with the most need and divert it to Conservative heartlands and calls on all Sheffield MPs to stand up for Sheffield and oppose changes to funding formulas that would disadvantage areas with the greatest need.

(At the request of the mover of the Motion (Councillor Mary Lea) and with the consent of the Council and the seconder, the following alterations were made to the Motion as detailed on the Summons for this meeting:

At Paragraph (a): the replacement of the words “ based on” with the words “weighted towards”; Paragraph (b) the replacement of the words “these proposed changes” with the words “an age only”; and Paragraph (d): the deletion of the word “these” after the word “opposes”.)

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Clive Skelton, seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

(1)       the deletion in paragraph (a) of all of the words after the words “Groups should” and their substitution by the words “take greater account of the age of the patient population”;

(2)       the deletion of paragraphs (b)-(f); and

(3)       the addition of new paragraphs (b)-(f) as follows:-

(b)       believes that Professor Bambra’s analysis is flawed, given that it is premised on a proposal that has never been suggested or supported by the Government;

(c)        supports the Government’s decision to ring-fence NHS spending from the spending reductions that were forced by the previous Government’s record national deficit;

(d)       welcomes the £26 million increase in the 2011-12 revenue allocation for Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the additional £27 million increase in 2012-13;

(e)       recalls comments by the Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham in June 2010 that it would be “irresponsible” to increase NHS spending and notes with concern the implication that a Labour government would have cut Sheffield’s allocation rather than increase it; and

(f)         supports the Government’s policy of increasing funding for Sheffield PCT, as opposed to the implication by the Shadow Health Secretary that he would cut its funding.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       notes that in a speech on 24^th April, 2012, the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, M.P. argued that funding allocated to Clinical Commissioning Groups should be weighted towards the age of their patient population instead of levels of deprivation;

(b)       further notes research by Durham University public health professor Clare Bambra, that an age only funding formula would see a major transfer of NHS funds from the North to the healthier and more affluent South;

(c)        agrees with comments by Professor Bambra that severing the link with deprivation “will lead to a considerable shift of healthcare funding away from the neediest, poorer areas of the North and the inner cities towards the least needy, most affluent, and most elderly areas of the South.”

(d)       opposes changes to NHS funding which according to Professor Bambra’s figures could see Sheffield lose over £70 million per year at the same time as the NHS in Surrey would gain over £400 million;

(e)       believes that this is the latest example of the Government taking funding away from areas with the highest levels of deprivation to the benefit of the wealthiest areas in the country; and

(f)         believes this is part of a cynical political move to take money from areas with the most need and divert it to Conservative heartlands and calls on all Sheffield MPs to stand up for Sheffield and oppose changes to funding formulas that would disadvantage areas with the greatest need.

(Note: The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Vickie Priestley) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Clive Skelton, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Janice Sidebottom, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Bob McCann, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, Alison Brelsford and Trevor Bagshaw voted for paragraphs (a) to (d) and against paragraphs (e) to (f) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.