We have been very open about funding crisis in the NHS

THERE were two letters in the Express commenting on health and healthcare issues.

On two occasions over recent months we have formally met Stockport NHS Watch and explained the choices we were having to make (and we’ve also met individual members on many occasions explaining the same issue).

We’ve been very open about what we’ve been doing and have answered lots of questions on this topic from various people at a variety of council meetings and we’ll continue to be open.

Stockport NHS watch are correct in that there is a major funding crisis in Stockport (where we will receive £120m less than we currently need to spend to keep things going as they are) and also nationally – which we’ve been telling people about at every opportunity.

We know there is insufficient funding available to meet the demands being put on the local system (eg from those with one or more long term significant illnesses across the wide health spectrum to an older, frailer population who have increasing and increasingly complicated health and social care needs) combined with massive reductions in adult social care funding and public health funding being given to Stockport council.

We also know that this government isn’t willing to sort this crisis out – if they had been willing there would have been some significant announcements made in the Autumn Statement, instead we were told that councils nationally could raise a social care precept of 6 per cent over two years rather than three years (but this means that the council tax payers of Stockport have to fund this increase rather than money being made available by central government) and nothing additional for health pressures.

Which means we’re faced with stark choices.

We could do what Stockport NHS Watch want – which is effectively to do nothing and change nothing in the system – and hope that something might happen; very unlikely given the government’s view and their desire to drive down funding across the board.

Equally we could just wring our hands and blame the government whilst services are cut across the board (because we all have to produce legal budgets) with the most vulnerable being the most affected, and services being slashed with little or no thought as to what are the impact of such cuts

Or we can, to use Stockport NHS Watch’s own words ‘show courage, independence, and commitment to the health of the citizens whose interests (we) represent’.

And that’s what we’ve chosen to do by supporting Stockport Together which is pooling all the health and healthcare budgets with the aim of maximising what we do to try and safeguard the impact on the most vulnerable in our town. Cllr Tom McGee Executive Councillor for Health & Wellbeing Stockport MBC

FUNDING TO CUT A&E VISITS

I WRITE in response to the letter from Deborah Hind of January 11 regarding the signing of the Stockport Together Transformation funding agreement with GM Health and Social Care published in the Stockport Express.

This funding is to support the council and local NHS to work even more closely together and will initially focus on introducing new models of care which will mean care is provided to patients in the neighbourhoods and communities where they live and reduce unnecessary trips to hospital.

We have had discussions with Stockport NHS Watch to explain why we, as a council, are taking this route and the choices we are having to make.

But to be clear, I too share the concerns of residents over the funding of our health and social care services. After years of austerity it’s vital that the government properly fund health and social care. However, until that happens we must deal with the urgent need to tackle the immediate and significant pressures facing health and social care in Stockport, and that is what we’ve chosen to do through the Stockport Together programme. Cllr Wendy Wild Exec member for Adult Social Care, Stockport Council

CHANGES TO STATION

R M Greaves in his letter to the Express (January 11) raises important issues. There are two main problems at Heaton Chapel Station; ticketing and disabled access, and these could be dealt with at the same time.

My suggestion is as follows.

The main entrance becomes the only entrance to the station.

Other entrances and ramps are closed in favour of reinstating the footbridge.

Southbound disabled passengers could use a lift from footbridge level to the platform.

On the northbound side the lift would descend to footbridge level for southbound passengers and then continue down to platform level.

Ticket control would be in the main booking hall area which would no doubt suit Northern Rail very well.

As R M Greave writes it is essential that Stockport Council gets involved. After all, town centre regeneration is great but it does need to spread out to the suburbs! Dr B S Bryant Heaton Mersey

PLEA TO TRACE PHOTOGRAPH

ON Heaton Norris Park there used to be a hut used by ex-servicemen. Inside on the wall there was a large farmed photograph of all the regular customers of the Joiners Arms in Love Lane.

On the photograph is the licensee Maria Bower, my grandmother, and two uncles Fred and Arthur. The photograph was taken on September 15 1935, one day after my first birthday.

I have often wondered what became of the photograph, and if it still exists I would love to have it.

I was brought up on that park by my grandmother until she passed away in 1950 and know all the men on the photo, even some of their names to this day.

I think the hut was closed down wither in the late 1950s or 1960s. Mr P Bower Heaton Chapel

HOUSING NOT SUPERMARKET

AS far as I am aware, the latest government directive advocates more use of brownfield sites over greenfield sites for housing, whenever possible.

After listening to all the furore over the GM Spatial Framework, it seems incredible that Stockport Council have not listened to objections from residents about the proposed Lidl site at Hempshaw Lane.

I think Stockport needs more affordable housing rather than another supermarket, and this development is an ideal opportunity to implement the new housing policy. Tony Bryan Marple Bridge

A DEMENTIA EPIDEMIC?

FROM this month GPs are going to start being paid £150 for each patient they diagnose and treat for dementia, and drug companies will make packet from selling the drugs.

So are we suddenly about to see an epidemic of dementia? Sara Moor Stockport