The week in public services — 4th September 2018
This week: a bunch of stories about health and social care — sexual health services are under strain, climate change is creating problems for the NHS, and social care is facing long-term challenges, but at least politicians seem to agree that this is a problem which needs to be addressed — even as specific solutions remain elusive. Meanwhile the Education Policy Institute highlights a looming crisis in schools as teacher retention continues to be poor.
This is a non-comprehensive overview of what is going on in public services by the performance Tracker team at @instituteforgov. Did we miss something important? Let us know below.
Health and Social Care
Several sources have reported how record demand for sexual health services have placed an unanticipated strain on the system. Visits this year have reached 3.3million, up from 2.9million in 2013. While it is good for public health that services such as STD screening are being used more regularly, the cost of providing these services is creating challenges for local authorities who are already dealing with cuts to their public health budgets.
Aging is the definitive challenge for healthcare systems in developed nations. A new study published in the Lancet Public Health journal projects that between 2015 and 2035 the proportion of the elderly population requiring 24 hour care will rise by 35%; although interestingly it also forecasts that the proportion living independently will also rise by 16%. The LGA noted that adult social care services are already facing a £3.5bn funding gap within seven years, and this study is further evidence of the need for a long-term plan to provide care for the elderly.
However, the other definitive challenge of our time has also been creating additional challenges for the NHS. The summer heatwave created “demand ‘equal to or above’ the worst days [of] winter” according to reports. With climate change making summer heatwaves a feature rather than a phenomenon, will this force the Government to rethink its annual strategy for healthcare services?
Meanwhile the debate over how to provide sufficient long-term funding for the NHS continues. The Health Foundation argues that the new £20.5bn funding settlement is “a lot, but not enough” while also making the case for a ring-fenced transformation fund which would support the ability of healthcare organisations to improve the quality of their services.
Over in Parliament, while the politicians struggle to find a consensus on the UK’s exit from the EU, there is a strong and growing consensus that there needs to be more funding for adult social care.
And finally something “VERY GOOD AND TRUE” in the words of our own Emily Andrews — the Nuffield Trust writes about how there is an unacceptable shortage of high-quality data about services in the community.
Children and Young People
A new report from the Education Policy Institute describes the many and varied challenges facing the teacher labour market. These include a fall in applications to teacher training, an increase in the number of people leaving the profession, and an overall decrease in the value of teacher pay scales since 2010. The report highlights particular issues with STEM subjects where alternative careers are highly competitive.
Meanwhile local authorities have overspent their children’s services budgets again, to the tune of more than £800million. The IfG’s Graham Atkins shared his thoughts, noting that this isn’t a new trend, overspend has been a feature of council budgets since 2010/11. Worryingly this size of the overspend is increasing, but the Government is not making it clear the extent to which this is driven by demand.
There are some moves to help protect children. DfE has announced a £2million investment for a “national response unit” which will help local authorities to support vulnerable children avoid exploitation by criminal gangs. But there are also some worrying signs about the state of the younger generation. New research shows the prevalence of self-harm among youngsters, particularly LGBT girls. This fits within a wider context of new analysis which outlines the pressures that are affecting the happiness of young people. This problem is compounded by the fact that due to a shortage of beds, children and young people with mental health issues often have to travel long distances to receive treatment.
Local Authorities
The Government has announced a new £95million pot of money which local authorities can bid to for funds to support the development of full fibre broadband networks in their areas. This money is earmarked for projects which will “enable gigabit-capable connections to key public buildings and businesses and also encourage broadband providers to create additional connections to local homes and businesses.”
In another digital move, the government has announced a new service which will help local authorities to record and share data about roadworks. £10million has been allocated for a new ‘Street Manager’ system which will help drivers plan their journeys to avoid roadworks.
Elsewhere Spelthorne Borough Council in Surrey has used loans from the Public Works Loans Board to buy up over £600million worth of commercial property over the past couple of years. This includes £285million on three office blocks outside Surrey. The rents from these properties will be used to “enhance local services”.
