Minutes:
(i) At item 14(5) the Council received a Motion in the names of Councillors Margaret Davine and Navin Shah in the following terms:
“Council notes with great concern the impact on the health of local residents of three major changes of health provision
· The totally under funded transfer of Public Health to the Council, although the transfer of Public Health to the Council is welcome.
· The totally under funded, top down, bureaucratic, centralised, ill-thought out system of GP Commissioning.
· The totally under funded proposals to re-organize hospital and specialist provision in North West London.
Council believes these proposals and the dramatic cuts to and privatisation of NHS services will have serious potential to negatively impact on the most essential care for people of Harrow. The Council is particularly anxious about the detrimental impact the changes would have on the Northwick Park Hospital given that there are no guarantees that any of the proposed changes will be properly funded.
The Council calls on the government to review its proposals so as to maintain the highest levels of medical services.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Mayor of London, the three Harrow MPs and the Brent and Harrow Assembly member asking them to support Harrow Council and Harrow residents by lobbying the Government to stop deep cuts and erosion of local medical care and services.”
(ii) There was a tabled amendment in the names of Councillors Simon Williams and Barry Macleod-Cullinane which sought to amend the Motion as follows:
“Council notes with great concern the impact on the health of local residents of three major changes of health provision:
· The totally under funded transfer of Public Health to the Council, due to Harrow PCT’s historical under-funding in this area; although the actual transfer of Public Health to the Council is welcome. This Council is particularly concerned by the accuracy of the morbidity data which affects the size of the public health budget. This Council is therefore ensuring that all mechanisms are in place to ensure data collection is as accurate as possible, so that the needs of Harrow’s residents are truly reflected in our Public Health budget allocation.
· The totally under funded, top down, bureaucratic, centralized, ill?thought out system of GP Commissioning.
· The totally under funded proposals to re-organize hospital and specialist provision in North West London.
Council believes these proposals and the dramatic cuts to and privatisation of NHS services will have serious potential to negatively impact on the most essential care for people of Harrow. The Council is particularly anxious about the detrimental impact the changes would have on the Northwick Park Hospital given that there are no guarantees that any of the proposed changes will be properly funded. Council further notes that prior to the 2005 General Election, Labour MP Gareth Thomas – Harrow West – promised that funding had been secured for a “brand new hospital costing £305 million” to be built by 2010 at Northwick Park.
The Council calls on the government to review its proposals so as to maintain the highest levels of medical services.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Mayor of London, the three Harrow MPs and the Brent and Harrow Assembly member asking them to support Harrow Council and Harrow residents by lobbying the Government to stop deep cuts and erosion of local medical care and services.”
(iii) Upon a vote, the amendment at (ii) was lost.
(iv) Upon a further vote the substantive Motion at (i) was agreed.
RESOLVED: That the substantive Motion, as set out at (i) above, be adopted.