The Care Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to:

• Introduce a cap on the cost of social care in England, and give carers the legal right to support from their local council.

• Provide protection to people whose care provider went out of business.

• Set out provision for local authorities to assess the care and support needs of children, and young carers, who may need support after they reach the age of 18, to facilitate the transition to adult social care.

• Set out entitlements to personal care budgets and provisions for deferred payments for care.

• Introduce a rating system for hospitals and care homes, and give new powers of intervention to the chief inspector of hospitals.

• Create two new public bodies, Health Education England and the Health Research Authority, designed to provide additional training and support for health professionals.

Source: Care Bill, Department of Health, TSO | Debate 16 December 2013, columns 487-580, House of Commons Hansard, TSO

Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HoC briefing paper | Summary | Carers UK briefing

Date: 2013-Dec

A report examined the the activities of health and wellbeing boards during their first year, what they had achieved, and whether they were providing effective leadership across local systems of care. The report discussed policy implications.

Source: Richard Humphries and Amy Galea, Health and Wellbeing Boards: One year on, King s Fund

Links: Report | Kings Fund press release

Date: 2013-Oct

An article examined the theoretical and policy antecedents of provisions in the 2012 Health and Social Care Act transferring responsibility for public health in England from primary care trusts to local authorities. The development of health and well-being boards and their objectives could best be understood by viewing them through the theoretical prism of public value or new public service theory.

Source: Peter Murphy, 'Public health and health and wellbeing boards: antecedents, theory and development', Perspectives in Public Health, Volume 133 Number 5

Links: Abstract

Date: 2013-Sep

A think-tank report examined recent moves toward a more localist health system in England, and opinions on this from people in local government. It also took stock of how local councils had adapted to the return of public health to their portfolio, and the dismantling of barriers between health and social care.

Source: Gwilym Tudor Jones, In Sickness and in Health: Assessing the transition to a more localist health system – The first step towards marriage between the NHS and local government?, Localis

Links: Report | Localis press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Public Finance report

Date: 2013-Sep

The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the role of English local authorities in health issues. It said that local authorities were best placed to handle responsibility for public health issues – not the National Health Service or central government.

Source: Government Response to the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee Eighth Report of Session 2012-13: The Role of Local Authorities in Health Issues, Cm 8638, Department of Health, TSO

Links: Response

Notes: MPs report (March 2013)

Date: 2013-Jul

A report by a committee of MPs welcomed the return to local government in England of the responsibility to improve the health and well-being of local people. But it also raised concerns over the complex accountability mechanisms of the reformed system. In particular, it was not clear who would be in charge in the event of a health emergency. The committee also called for 'perverse' incentives in the funding formula be reviewed.

Source: The Role of Local Authorities in Health Issues, Eighth Report (Session 2012–13), HC 694, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO

Links: Report | Additional written evidence | Committee press release | LGA press release | BBC report

Date: 2013-Mar

A series of articles examined the role of the new health and well-being boards, and the challenges facing them.

Source: Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 21 Number 1

Links: Table of contents

Notes: Articles included:

Richard Humphries, 'Health and wellbeing boards: policy and prospects'

Simon Allen and Janet Rowse, 'Health and well being boards – developing transformational relationships'

Bill Mumford, 'Making health and wellbeing boards a success: engaging providers'

John Wilderspin, 'Health and wellbeing boards and service transformation'

Sian Lockwood, 'Micro-enterprise:: community assets helping to deliver health and well-being and tackle health inequalities'

Date: 2013-Feb

A report said that the new health and well-being boards should take advantage of the experience and connexions of established providers of health and care-related services, as well as be open to innovative contributions from new ones, if they wanted to be successful at improving the health outcomes of their communities.

Source: Stronger Together: How health and wellbeing boards can work effectively with local providers, NHS Confederation

Links: Report

Date: 2013-Jan

An article examined the role of health and well-being boards. Early experience indicated considerable optimism about their prospects to achieve greater success in achieving integrated services: but they faced formidable challenges arising from a hostile financial climate, and from unchanged national policy fault lines that had hindered effective integration to date.

Source: Richard Humphries, 'Health and wellbeing boards: policy and prospects', Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 21 Number 1

Links: Abstract

Date: 2013-Jan