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The future of healthcare in the Borough is the biggest point of political concern in Sutton today. The precarious financial position of the healthcare providers, their damaged reputations and the changing direction from Whitehall makes it almost impossible to be certain of what we might be left with in years to come. Despite a desire to bring better healthcare closer to home, services are continuing to be concentrated on the ageing St Helier site without a plan that ensures that these buildings can cope beyond the short term.

We have a world-class specialist hospital in the Royal Marsden on our doorstep that wants to extend its provision but is hesitant until the future of Sutton Hospital is decided. With changes underway in moving towards smaller clinic based treatment, we will play a full role in ensuring that residents get the healthcare that they want and need rather than a model imposed from Whitehall based on expediency.

Recent changes in the Council's approach to adult social services have had a significant impact in this area. We will look to ensure that elderly and disabled residents are well looked after, working in partnership with the NHS and the voluntary sector and we will look at how we can develop the skills that are needed to ensure that the Council gets the best value for both residents and those being cared for.