Primary Care Trusts will work closer with councils on local health and wellbeing under amendments outlined in the second reading of the Local Government Bill this week. Communities and local government minister, Ruth Kelly, announced proposals to make provision for new Health and Wellbeing Partnerships – and for creating joint waste authorities. Plans to provide more joint services between councils and PCTs were first outlined before Christmas (The MJ, 14 Dec 2006, pictured). The new measures give primary care trusts (PCTs) a statutory duty to produce joint local health assessments with councils. ‘They should jointly provide for health needs,' said local government minister, Phil Woolas. ‘The new measures will bring health services and councils back together for the first time in years.' Recognising the funding deficit facing some PCTs, he said pooled funding streams and joint working would increase available monies and three-year health reviews would provide much better scope for financial planning. A further amendment will enable two or more authorities to apply to the Government to voluntarily transfer waste disposal, collection or street cleansing functions to a joint waste authority, providing more partnership options to improve waste services. But Association for Public Sector Excellence principal adviser, Mo Baines, said the waste measure dealt with ‘symptoms rather than a cure' for local government's problems dealing with waste. ‘It doesn't tackle waste production at all,' she added. A draft new code of conduct for councillors was also announced, which maintains a ‘rigorous' approach to serious misconduct, while ‘common sense' changes allow councillors to discuss issues affecting their wards including planning and transport. Mr Woolas said this would result in a more localised role for the Standards Board and a minimisation of ‘vexatious and malicious' accusations.
