Shropshire Council planning £1.6m public health cuts
Shropshire Council plans to save more than £1.6 million over the next two financial years by making cuts to public health services.
But the plan has been labelled “a disaster” by opposition councillors who suggested it should be scrutinised.
The authority’s cabinet approved the report at its meeting on Wednesday.
The strategy would see £588,000 saved in this financial year and more than £1 million saved in the next.
Independent councillor Madge Shineton asked for the plan to be looked at again.
She said: “I see public health as a foundation stone of what we are trying to achieve across the whole health budget.
"It’s a piece of the jigsaw so if we start to tinker about with that then the whole thing is going to wobble.
“I do ask you to look at that again, stand back and have a wider vision of what the consequences might be.
“We know Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has been a disaster for a period of time now which I think is unacceptable.
"There’s going to be a reduction in school nurses – we really can’t do without them.”
Labour Councillor Alan Mosley added: “This paper is a disaster area, it’s an attack on our health and care services.”
Council leader Peter Nutting said the plan is getting the council towards a balanced budget.
Councillor Lee Chapman added: “Shropshire has extremely good public health outcomes so we have a healthy population.
"I understand the anxiety around some of these reductions, I want to point to the fact that these are proposals. We’ve got to work more efficiently and we will continue to drive to do so.”
Councillor Hannah Fraser called for the plan to be reviewed by a scrutiny committee. The cabinet voted in favour of the plan and it will go to full council at a later date.
