Relocating health services to town centres could ‘act as a springboard’ for wider economic regeneration of local areas, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
RTPI writes:
Richard Blyth, RTPI’s Head of Policy and Practice, gave evidence today (26 November) to the influential Communities and Local Government Select Committee on the role of local authorities in health issues.
Executive Summary of RTPI’s evidence
· Health improvements will not be achieved by improvements in just one part of the system alone, and a whole-system approach to health issues must be adopted.
· A holistic approach to measuring improvements in health issues needs to be introduced across local and national government.
· Vital that strategies prepared by health and wellbeing boards are fully taken into account into the commissioning plans of clinical commissioning groups.
· Good planning for health services with community involvement can help improve mental health and wellbeing of members of that community, and help to promote community cohesion, which will in turn help to reduce crime rates.
· Health services, when planned into town and district centres, will act as a springboard for the wider economic regeneration of an area.
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