Surrey – Not As Wealthy As People Think, Says SCC Leader

Published on: 8 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 15 Mar, 2019

Cllr Tim Oliver

Surrey is not as wealthy or healthy as many think people it is, the county council’s leader claims.

With 1.1 million people living in Surrey, it is still one of the most densely populated shire counties in England with “pockets of deprivation”.

Figures show there are over 23,000 children in Surrey living in poverty and 10,600 five to 15-year-olds have a mental health disorder.

It also has an ageing population, with dementia as a particular issue.

In the next 10 years the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to rise by 18% and the number of carers aged 85 and over will increase by 31%.

Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver said a new 10-year strategy covering health and wellbeing in the county will help with early intervention.

Speaking at Surrey’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Thursday, he said: “Many people see Surrey as a leafy, wealthy and healthy county and for a huge part of it that is the case.

“But there are huge parts of significant pockets of deprivation.”

He said the county had missed out on funding in the past because that was not always seen, and hoped that a review of Fairer Funding for local authorities taking deprivation into account would open up more funding channels for Surrey.

Data from the strategy also states that in 2015 approximately one in 25 people aged over 65 lived in care homes in Surrey with the figure expected to rise by 60% by 2030.

He said the “strong average performance” of people leading healthier lives in the county masks areas where there is inequality.

Criticising the strategy, David Munro, Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said it did not do enough to tackle the effect of drugs.

He said: “The effect of drugs is not given the priority it clearly needs. We all know drugs are a danger to the user, a danger to their family and friends and a danger to the community.”

He added: “We have a duty as a wealthy community in Surrey to stamp on this much more than we have been doing.”

However, Helen Atkinson, director of public health, said drugs were prioritised in the plan which looked at tackling substance misuse including the “huge problem” of alcohol use in the county.

The draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy is open for consultation. View the papers at https://www.surreysays.co.uk/adult-social-care-and-public-health/hwbstrategy/

Consultation ends on March 26.