More money needed for GPs and district nurses, says Sheffield councillor

Coun Chris Peace, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, says there is not enough funding for community health services to prevent people ending up in hospital.

'The problem in Sheffield is that too many people are admitted to hospital and stay there longer than they need to. This increases costs both for the council and for the NHS.

'The NHS is affected by large investment in hospital beds but significantly less investment in community health services like GPs and district nurses.

'In the council it results in lots of pressures to help ever-increasing numbers of people leave hospital and little resources left to help keep them safe and independent so they don't need hospital in the first place.'

Coun Peace warned social care was at risk of becoming financially unsustainable.

'If the council and the NHS don't work together to ensure a shift to prevention and wellbeing, then adult social care will become financially unsustainable and parts of the NHS may follow.

'It's important to work closely with our NHS partners on the whole health and care system. This will involve a greater number of people feeling independent, safe and well at home supported by well-funded local services in the community.

'Some of this is achievable with shifts in existing resources but I will also ensure we fight both for local government and the NHS to receive the national funding that the people of Sheffield deserve.'

Her comments came after she was questioned by Green councillor Douglas Johnson. He asked: 'What commitments have been received from the Clinical Commissioning Group or Teaching Hospitals Trust to help meet the increased cost of social care arising from savings to the NHS of reducing the amount of time people have to stay in hospital.'