Devolution, LEPs and the future of healthcare

There are concerns about the future of healthcare:
Futures Forum: Keeping control of local health services >>> "What health and social care issues do you feel need to be addressed?"

And there are concerns about how the Local Enterprise Partnerships will handle their responsibilities - amongst which will be healthcare:
Futures Forum: Devolution and Local Enterprise Partnerships: "there are some very worrying questions being raised by all of this"
Futures Forum: Local Enterprise Partnerships >>> "accountability and value for money" >>> Submission to National Audit Office by East Devon Alliance

The British Medical Journal recently looked at what Greater Manchester is up to - and included this view from a long-standing commentator:

Critics of devolution 

Among critics of health devolution is Raymond Tallis, a retired geriatrician. He believes that it undermines government accountability for providing universal healthcare and that it will allow ministers to duck the issue of adequate NHS funding. 

“This is dismantling under the guise of devolution,” he says. “The debate about how much we should fund the NHS will turn into a debate about how badly local authorities are managing the NHS. 

“It will finally cut the umbilical cord to a national government responsible for providing comprehensive healthcare. We have already seen those parts of the health service which are the responsibility of local authorities, such as sexual and public health, savagely cut.” 

The BMJ - 26 March 2016
Professor Raymond Tallis Homepage

There's been quite a debate in Manchester:
Health devolution: How six months on politicians and NHS are already at war - Jennifer Williams - Manchester Evening News
North East risks losing health budget devolution, warns Mayoral Candidate - North East Connected
The Guardian view on Manchester’s health devolution: taking the national out of the NHS? | Editorial | Opinion | The Guardian

And there are more and more voices being raised about the project to 'devolve' health:
Devolution could undermine existing health and social care integration, MPs warn | GPonline
Health decisions need to be open


Devolution – silver bullet or Swiss cheese?

Our biggest concern is that this becomes such a focus that people are distracted from the central challenges facing the NHS today – finances and future sustainability. Devolution will not be a quick fix to those challenges – savings strategies often result in improved outcomes rather than lower costs, take time to deliver and require significant upfront investment – and we don’t have a lot of time to spare.

Devolution – silver bullet or Swiss cheese? | The King's Fund
New concerns raised over devolving health to regions | Rachel Pugh | Society | The Guardian

The East Devon Watch blog has also noted similar concerns - together with very sharp comments:
Councillors Elson and Moulding think our LEP will improve healthcare – but seem unable to explain why | East Devon Watch
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