Keep Our NHS Public – Birmingham
Government commissioners are imposing a £300m cut over 2 years on the city’s spending, with a devastating effect on services. 600 jobs are to go.
Unemployment and poverty are bad for the health of workers and their families.
THE CUTS WILL HAVE A KNOCK-ON EFFECT ON THE NHS
- Adult Social Care is to be cut by £22m from a budget of £903m. This will lead to more patients being stuck unnecessarily in hospital because they can’t get social care. A dreadful situation exacerbated by the proposed termination of the council’s in-house Enablement Team, who support people’s transition from hospital to social care.
- Children’s Services to be cut by £57.04m out of a total budget of £428.8m inevitably leading to problems that the NHS will have to pick up.
- Non-statutory public health services will be reduced, affecting environmental health, trading standards and well-being services.
- Homeless services reduced.
- Emergency welfare grants to go.
- Housing maintenance reduced.
- Up to 25 of 35 libraries may close, although a sop of “mixed delivery” proposals with a vague promise of “hubs” and talk of volunteers may keep around 25 as yet unknown locations, with yet unknown facilities. People defend on libraries during cold weather and, throughout the year, benefit from human contact, mental stimulation and the sheer joy of reading. These closures affect vulnerable and create the slide towards isolation and distress.
- Reduced support for voluntary organisations dealing with social and community issues.
- Sales of open spaces for development will impact on the health of everyone who enjoys them for health and relaxation.
- Arts and culture funding is to be cut entirely over a period of 2 years. Studies show that the arts have an important positive effect on people’s mental and physical health including:
- more positive health and social behaviours in children and young people
- better mental health in adulthood
- lower risks of depression and dementia in later life
- lower levels of chronic pain
This text is taken with thanks from KONP Birmingham’s new leaflet
Birmingham Against The Cuts 