Healthy Lives and Care You Can Count On
Getting a GP appointment is hard. Getting to hospital is expensive and slow if you rely on public transport. Getting support for a complex care need often means navigating a system that seems designed to exhaust you. These are real problems for Sheffield families — and they are not improving.
The council does not run the NHS. But it shapes how services connect locally, where they are based, and who gets left behind.
We declared a health and care emergency at Full Council, brought the “health on the high street” motion to push services into communities, and demanded the council take a stand on the poverty driving poor health outcomes. These are the right arguments. More Liberal Democrat councillors means more capacity to turn them into the right decisions.
Why This Matters for Our Principles
Getting the basics right — a council that works for you
The council does not run the NHS — but that is not an excuse for being passive. It commissions adult social care, shapes where services land, and influences whether vulnerable residents get reliable support. Getting the basics right means care packages delivered on time, clear guidance for complex needs, and a system that uses the council's real influence rather than shrugging at the gaps.
Pride in Sheffield
A city that lets residents struggle in silence — unable to get to the care they need, left waiting months for support — is not living up to what Sheffield should be. Pride in Sheffield means valuing every resident, not just those who can afford to go private or whose families can step in. Accessible health and care across all parts of the city is part of what it means to be a good place to live.
Opportunity for all
Poor health does not affect everyone equally. In Sheffield, life expectancy varies by years depending on postcode. People without transport, digital access or a support network are far less likely to get care early enough to make a difference. Good health is the foundation of everything else — work, connection, independence. Reducing health inequality is not a side issue. It is the point.
Key Changes:
• Health services closer to home — bring health services onto high streets and into communities.
• One point of contact for complex care needs — so residents stop being bounced between departments and someone takes responsibility.
• Getting to your appointment shouldn't be a battle — better transport links to hospitals and health centres.
• Fight for a properly funded social care system — lobbying government and holding the council to account on waiting times and unmet need.
• Nobody left isolated — spotting who needs help, offering support, and making sure everyone can stay connected.
• Free bus travel for young carers — because if you're a young person giving up your time to care for someone, getting around the city shouldn't be another barrier you face.