Health Scrutiny Committee Meeting- November Update

Macc attended the Health Scrutiny Committee meeting on 9 November. This meeting focused on Manchester City Council’s revenue budget and the cost savings that are proposed between 2023-2026. The Council are indicating that there will be a budget shortfall of £44 million pounds in 2023/24, £85 million in 2024/25 and £112 million in 2025/26. They will use £16 million from reserves to cover some of the shortfall in each year between 2023- 2026. The Council is stating that savings are needed and they have proposed options that reduce the budget shortfall. However, even if these saving proposals are agreed, there will still be a budget gap of £7 million pounds for 2023/24. Manchester’s Public Health team are proposing savings by not filling current job vacancies and a redesign of their childrens services work. £2 million has been ringfenced for the Making Manchester Fairer work to ensure this continues. In adult social care, savings are proposed in adult day care services and a service redesign around supported accommodation. The meeting focused on workforce and how to ensure that, despite the proposed savings and changes to services, that staff are supported and retained as much as possible. There is a huge amount of anger and frustration towards Central Government regarding not funding local government appropriately. The final financial settlement for Manchester City Council will be received on 24 December.

The meeting also included the Public Health Annual Report, which is a successor to The Manchester Difference 2021 report, and the Charging Reforms and Fair Cost of Care report, which outlines what the real costs of care in the city are and how to ensure fairness.

You can access the recording of the November Health Scrutiny Committee meeting by accessing the following link here: https://vimeo.com/761457388. The next Health Scrutiny Committee Meeting was held Wednesday 7 December on at 10am at in the Council Antechamber, Level 2, Manchester Town Hall Extension but will also be live streamed and recorded.