Title

Swine flu. Media hype or serious threat? Is this just the annual round of flu under another name, or should we all be planning for Doomsday? Certainly, the levels of sickness and mortality touted earlier in the summer have failed to materialise as yet, but does that mean we can discount the risk of a surge in autumn and winter infections? As guardians of local wellbeing, we have a duty of care to our local residents, and must plan for emergency situations as a matter of course. But how much time and resource is reasonable to dedicate to contingencies. And where is the line between business-as-usual activity and an emergency? As is often the case, the answer isn't simple. This is a judgment call which needs to be taken in each instance. So far, the ‘better safe than sorry' approach to public health warnings seems to have paid off, and the impact of swine flu in the UK has been mitigated, to date. In fact, there could even be other positive outcomes in taking time to prepare adequately. The advent of local strategic partnerships and the new Comprehensive Area Assessment inspection regime both demand that local public services are planned and delivered in a more joined up and strategic way. Issues such as swine flu can force organisations including local councils and primary care trusts to explore new ways of working together, and to develop a more joined-up and effective approach, and to prioritise services. Against a backdrop of increased customer expectations and significantly reduced budgets, the short-term contingency challenges which force us to rethink the way we work, build on our existing partnerships and improve joint working feel like a dress rehearsal for strategic service planning. Mike Suarez is director of finance at Lambeth LBC

Title

FINANCE

Money Matters

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