Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn

Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn Division elects two Councillors.

Candidates:
Division Name Party Survey
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn EMERY, Craig David Lab  
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn  
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn HERBERT, Paul Grn (Did not respond)
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn JONES, Thomas Mark Con (Did not respond)
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn MACEY, Robert John Con (Did not respond)
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn ROBERTS, Jack Lab  
Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn STEVENS, Henry John LD

1. Will you support sufficient funding to enable all Shropshire’s Public Health programmes to continue, and to allow the development and implementation of new programmes to improve the health of Shropshire people?

Name Party Q1
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Yes
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Yes

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment1
ROBERTS, Jack Lab I support a public health service that is & remains publicly owned, funded and provided.
STEVENS, Henry John LD Funding for the Health Service nationally must be improved to ensure it remains relevant to the growing needs of the population and a public sevice free at the point of delivery.

2. Will you support sufficient funding for health visiting in Shropshire to ensure the full implementation of NHS England’s recommended model: ‘The universal health visitor reviews’ – five mandated reviews?

Name Party Q2
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Yes
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Unsure
STEVENS, Henry John LD Yes

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment2
ROBERTS, Jack Lab I support funding for health visiting but am unaware of the, “NHS England’s recommended model: The universal health visitor reviews – five mandated reviews”, to which you refer so cannot comment on this.

3. Will you support Shropshire Council commissioning and subsidising public transport sufficient to enable all patients without their own transport to access health services reliably?

Name Party Q3
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Yes
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Unsure

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment3
EMERY, Craig David Lab As long as this is done on a ‘need’ basis rather than a ‘want’
STEVENS, Henry John LD I fully support the need for transport to enable all patients who need it to access health services I think there needs to be a more detailed debate on how this should be funded and by whom.

4. Will you support the funding of Healthwatch at a level sufficient to fully exercise its statutory role, and do you agree that it should be able to determine its own programmes of work independent of any Council veto?

Name Party Q4
EMERY, Craig David Lab Unsure
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Unsure
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Yes

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment4
EMERY, Craig David Lab I would support the funding aspect of the question however I would be reluctant to withdraw a Council veto as I believe every programme/organisation should be developed with checks & balances in place
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Wary of having Healthwatch determining its own programme without some form of independent oversight.
ROBERTS, Jack Lab From the limited knowledge I have of the status & workings of Health Watch.

5. Do you agree that the Health and Wellbeing Board should only apply the Better Care Fund on programmes that will improve health and wellbeing, rather than transferring the cost of provision from the NHS to the Council, voluntary organisations, and individual patients?

Name Party Q5
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Yes
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Unsure
STEVENS, Henry John LD Yes

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment5
ROBERTS, Jack Lab On the basis of the question I would say “Yes” as I would not support what appears to be the dismantling, cutting, privatising and “farming out” of NHS services. However, I am unsure about and need details about the workings of the Health & Well Being Board and what the “Better Care Fund” is.

6. Will you vote against endorsement of the current Shropshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) in which Shropshire Council is a partner?

Name Party Q6
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Unsure
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Unsure

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment6
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Don’t have enough information to decide on this.
ROBERTS, Jack Lab From what I know of it.
STEVENS, Henry John LD While I am against the apparent reduction in services that would result from the STP as currently presented, I would prefer to fight for changes to it rather than simply oppose it.

7. Will you vote against endorsement of future versions of the STP if it does not meet the following red lines: (a) no reduction of provision or access to in-County secondary care, including emergency care; (b) no reduction of hospital beds in either RSH or PRH unless bed occupancy rates have been running at 85% consistently for 12 months; (c) no reduction in acute/secondary care services that are being transferred to the community without high quality evidence based community provision being in place, fully operational, and proven to be successful; (d) no reduction in beds and service provision at our community hospitals; (e) a real increase in community mental health provision; (f) the continued provision of accessible Midwife-Led Maternity Units, in line with national guidance and with no reduction in current services; (g) a real improvement in ambulance provision to ensure NHS England target response times can be met across the County; (h) no increase in the fragmentation or privatisation of services?

Name Party Q7
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Yes
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Yes

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment7
STEVENS, Henry John LD I am especially concerned about the threat to midwife-led maternity units and the lack of focus on and priority for community mental health provision.

8. If a member of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee, or the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, will you ensure that there is full public consultation on any proposed changes to NHS service that might negatively impact any patients, and if such proposals are subsequently agreed by the relevant NHS body, will you vote to refer the proposals to the Secretary of State for Health?

Name Party Q8
EMERY, Craig David Lab Yes
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Unsure
ROBERTS, Jack Lab Yes
STEVENS, Henry John LD Unsure

Comments and explanations:

Name Party Comment8
FROGGATT, Stephen James Grn Not a member.
STEVENS, Henry John LD While I can answer with a firm “yes” on the need for full and open public consultation on any and all changes to our NHS service, I would not be able to be as clear on referral to the Secretary of State in whom I have absolutely no confidence. I would want to consider the effectiveness of any action that might be available to avoid or mitigate any negative impact on patients.