Stockport’s Labour Council and the local NHS have jointly secured £19 million of new investment to integrate services provided by our local hospitals, social care and community healthcare between now and 2019.
Stockport is one of only two boroughs in the region which has obtained the first funding from the £450 million Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Transformation Fund.
Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care Wendy Wild said ‘It’s fantastic news for patients in Stockport that we are first to gain access to this significant funding stream which will allow the Council and local NHS to work even more closely together and deliver improved outcomes for local people.
‘This major new investment will initially focus on introducing new models of care which I’m confident will mean more care is provided to patients in the neighbourhoods and communities where they live and mean a reduction in unnecessary trips to hospital.
‘Increased integration of health and social care in Stockport should also mean that when a stay in hospital is needed that it is only for as long as absolutely necessary, and that services can be planned more proactively around preventing illness and disease rather than only treating it when it occurs.’
The £450 million Transformation Fund was allocated to Greater Manchester in December 2015 as part of the agreement with the Government to devolve £6 billion of health and social care expenditure to the region. The NHS England fund will support Councils and NHS organisations across the region in transforming local services.
Executive Councillor for Health Tom McGee said ‘The strict criteria which were applied during the application process to obtain this funding, and the fact that only Stockport and Salford were successful, illustrates the quality of our plan to transform local services.
‘This investment is great news and will mean more personalised care for people living with long-term conditions, more support for healthier lifestyle choices, and more care provided in the community, where patients often prefer it, avoiding expensive hospital admissions.
‘Today’s announcement is going to lead to a revolution in how Stockport provides care for our ageing population and I expect it to change the quality of provision which is available for residents right across the borough.’
The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership which made the decision to award Stockport this £19 million of new transformation funding is comprised of the 37 NHS organisations and Councils across Greater Manchester.