Commentary on Sections Introduction Chapter 1: Local Area Agreements and Community Strategies Section 116: Health and social care: joint strategic needs assessments
271.Section 116 introduces a requirement on responsible local authorities and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to undertake a joint strategic needs assessment of the health and social care needs for the area of the responsible local authority. This will determine what will be needed in terms of the discharge of health and social care functions in relation to the area of the local authority.
272.Statutory guidance will be issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000 and section 106(2)(c)(ii) and (3)(b) to make it clear that the Sustainable Community Strategy and subsequent targets in the LAA should take account of the findings of the joint strategic needs assessment.
273.Subsection (5) provides that the responsible local authority must publish each assessment of relevant needs prepared under this section in relation to its area.