Peterborough City Council reclaims adults care role

ADULT social care services will return to the control of Peterborough City Council from next year. The decision has been taken by the council in response to plans by the Government to abolish primary care trusts in April 2013.

Currently, NHS Peterborough commissions social care services on behalf of the council from providers including Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.

But as primary care trusts are expected to be phased out, the council has taken back the responsibility for commissioning social care services which it relinquished to NHS Peterborough in 2004.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, the cabinet member for social care, said that those who are currently using adult social care services should not notice any difference when the change is made.

He said: “Given the scale of government reforms, it is important that we plan ahead so that adult social care services continue to meet the needs of the public.

“We have a duty to provide adult social care services for residents so we need to be sure that we can continue to deliver high quality services which are cost effective no matter what changes the Government’s reform programme brings.

“Residents who access adult social care services should see no change in the services.”

The council will now undertake a review of its social care provision to see which services it can provide in-house and which services will be carried out by other organisations, such as the city’s main provider Cambridgeshire Community Services.

Denise Radley, the council’s executive director of adult services, said: “National NHS reforms mean that the council has to reconsider its local partnership for health and adult social care with NHS Peterborough.

“We believe our proposal to take back control of adult social care services is in the best interests of local people.

“It will allow us to deliver high quality, efficient services for the people of Peterborough in partnership with providers of health and social care services.”

Other local media yesterday reported that councillors had not been informed of the council’s intention to re-take control of the service.

However Cllr Nazim Khan, the Labour Party leader on the council, said he had been fully briefed on the council’s plans.

He added: “I think it’s a good thing that it’s coming back under council control as it makes for a more democratic service.

“There will be more accountability when it’s under our control rather than that of the NHS.”