Chiltern
Ridges newsBy County Cllr Tricia Birchley
The County Council has been out to consultation on numerous issues throughout the summer and early autumn. Well over a hundred meetings took place across the county to discuss the future of day centres. People with profound disabilities and the most elderly have been anxious to know that their services will be preserved, whilst those with moderate or low disabilities no longer wish to sit in a day centre, preferring to be out and about in the community.
You may be interested to know that our prevention services now mean that people with eligible needs for social care generally reach us at 85+ years of age. Despite a 4% increase year on year of older people needing care, we are managing to hold actual care provision at current levels by helping people to remain independent for longer, which is also beneficial for council tax payers.
Also of interest is the move to new contracts in our ‘external’ home care provision. By the end of March 2011 the current 40 providers, many of which have done an excellent job, will be replaced by one new provider in each district council area. This has enabled the council to establish a single hourly rate and measure the time spent with clients on a minute by minute basis. This is good news for service users as using their personal budgets they will have more choice, i.e. they can arrange their own care or ask the council to continue to do it for them, and again good news for council tax payers.
This week I’ve been in London attending meetings with the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley CBE MP, and the Chief Executive of the NHS Sir David Nicholson talking about closer integration of health and social care in delivering community services. GP consortia will replace the work done by the PCT and the strategic health authorities are also due to disappear under Coalition plans. A change of culture may well be needed to ensure a successful transition to the new ways of working and in particular the new National Public Health Service to be delivered by local government.
The launch of the new ‘Bombs over Buckinghamshire’ database records all damage across the county during WW2 following the start of the Blitz in late August 1940. You may wish to have a look on the County Council website, where you can see the precise location of every bomb. Being a rural county it was surprising that Bucks was affected, however most damage in the south of the County was due to German bombers that had overshot London or returning from cities such as Coventry. Slough and High Wycombe were particularly affected with damage mostly to buildings and infrastructure.
I’m sure the improvement in many local roads has been welcomed, however there have been ‘behind the scenes’ discussions about where the county’s priorities lie. Last week I was out with the Highways Engineer looking at roads in The Lee. I understand Potter Row is a candidate for tar and chipping next year and the road from The Lee to Swan Bottom is also in need of substantial repairs.
More meetings are imminent both locally and in Westminster to discuss High Speed 2 which the County Council strongly opposes. I will do everything possible to prevent such a catastrophe ruining our beautiful countryside!