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“It’s good to see mental health finally getting the focus that it deserves. The report makes some important recommendations about how to bring the Mental Health Act up to date and give people a stronger say in their treatment. It’s positive that the review listened to local government and recognises the role of community mental health services in preventing people from reaching crisis point in the first place. “The LGA has consistently called for a re-focus in mental health services away from medicalisation and treating mental ill health to early intervention and support for recovery through

"We have repeatedly argued that reductions to councils’ public health budgets is short-sighted and needs to be reversed otherwise they will undermine the objectives we all share to improve the public’s health."

“Councils are doing everything in their power to provide high quality adult and social care support to adults of all ages in very difficult circumstances."

People are being urged to ensure vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives are safe when the big freeze bites, with a high chance of snow and ice in parts of the country.

The Government has announced an extra £20 billion for the NHS, but is now taking vital money away from the services which can be used to prevent illness and the need for treatment later down the line.

Christmas is a time for caring and sharing, and unpaid carers across the country will be continuing to provide care for their loved ones throughout the festive season. Unpaid carers are the backbone of our care system.

Over recent years, councils have protected adult social care relative to other services. But the scale of the overall funding picture for local government as a whole means adult social care services still face a £3.6 billion funding gap by 2025, just to maintain existing standards of care.

“This report rightly reinforces our call for public health funding reductions to be reversed, in order to help councils protect children’s health and reduce inequalities."

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to an announcement by NHS England about funding for the expansion of the PrEP Impact Trial to 26,000 participants by 2020.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s commitment to make the UK the first country to reach zero HIV transmissions by 2030.