More than 100 LGBT+ councillors and assembly members have written to Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP, urging him to provide a framework to financially support those isolating for up to 21 days with monkeypox.

The councillors from across the political spectrum and who define as LGBT+ have acted due to their 'growing concern about the Government’s response to the monkeypox outbreak' as the vast majority of the 3,195 UK cases continue to be diagnosed in gay and bisexual men.

Three months into the outbreak there remains no progress on financial support for those isolating to prevent onward transmission of monkeypox with central government passing the buck to local government to deliver and fund without any UK-wide coordination.

The letter states: 'Local authorities are well placed to support those who face financial hardship as a result of needing to self-isolate' but 'this needs additional resource and leadership from government'.

Currently the expectation is that local authorities will use existing discretionary welfare or hardship schemes, including the Household Support Fund. But these schemes were not designed to support the living costs of someone needing to self-isolate for up to three weeks.

It continues: 'Without clear guidance and reimbursement for local authorities, there is a risk that some people in severe need of financial support will be forced to choose between their health and those of others, and being able to pay the bills.'

This comes as the UK’s current supply of the smallpox vaccine used to protect against monkeypox is  running very low with a significant gap expected ahead of 100,000 further doses arriving in the country from September.

The councillors and assembly members’ letter goes on to call on the Health Secretary to appoint a responsible leader to coordinate the monkeypox response with a mandate to prevent it from becoming endemic in the UK.

Sexual health services are leading the monkeypox response in addition to day-to-day services without additional funding or resources. The letter calls for a £51 million injection of cash to meet the increased demand of this additional burden on clinics and to maintain other services which have been impacted including STI testing and the provision of contraception and HIV prevention.

The LGBT+ councillors sit on councils from across the country, including Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Lancashire, as the number of cases outside of the outbreak’s London epicentre continues to grow. 

Earlier this month the LGBT+ groups from the main political parties in Westminster wrote to the Health Secretary calling for a better response from Government the protect the health of gay and bisexual men. That letter remains unanswered as LGBT+ councillors join the calls for urgent action.

Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'This groundswell of support from LGBT+ councillors shows the strength of feeling in the community about the Government’s underwhelming and lacklustre response to the monkeypox outbreak. Three months into this, we’re still waiting for proper leadership from the Health Secretary and the proper financial support that some doing the right thing and isolating with monkeypox need to make ends meet.

'The isolation period for those with confirmed monkeypox is crucial for tackling the outbreak and we need to see a UK-wide framework for financial support to be delivered at a local level. No one should be in the position of having to make the choice between doing the right thing from a public health point of view and paying their bills or keeping their job. We need urgent clarity from Government on this and to see ministers work with local government to arrive at a solution'.

Dear Secretary of State,

As LGBT+ Councillors and London Assembly Members, we are writing to raise our growing concerns about the government’s response to the monkeypox virus. As you will know, cases of monkeypox are rising rapidly, with 3,018 confirmed as of 15 August. The majority of cases are in gay bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and while cases remain predominantly in London, monkeypox is now also spreading at particularly concerning rates elsewhere.

Without urgent action, monkeypox risks becoming endemic in the UK. We cannot afford to let this happen, but there needs to be concerted action and robust senior leadership to bring together agencies and support local authorities, who are on the frontline of tackling the outbreak.

Vaccinating those most at risk of exposure is vital and we need a rapid acceleration of the vaccination programme. This has to be accompanied by a clear communications campaign so that those most at risk of exposure to monkeypox know they are eligible and how they can get vaccinated.

Sexual health services are at the frontline of tackling monkeypox, but were under enormous strain even before the outbreak began. Without additional funding, services are already struggling to deliver PrEP, contraception and support for people with acute STIs. The existing funding within the Public Health Grant simply is not enough to deliver existing services while also delivering the additional cost of identifying, treating, and vaccinating those with monkeypox or at risk of exposure to the virus. A substantial number of services have already reported a drop in provision of PrEP as a result of monkeypox.

Local authorities are also well placed to support those who face financial hardship as a result of needing to self-isolate, but again this needs additional resource and leadership from government. Currently the expectation is that local authorities will use existing discretionary welfare or hardship schemes, including the Household Support Fund, but these schemes were not designed to support the living costs of someone needing to self-isolate for up to three weeks. Without clear guidance and reimbursement for local authorities, there is a risk that some people in severe need of financial support will be forced to choose between their health and those of others, and being able to pay the bills.

As with the early response to the HIV epidemic, our community is coming together to share information and support each other. The burden cannot fall on LGBT+ people to do this alone and it is not enough.

As LGBT+ elected local leaders, we ask that the government urgently:

• Appoint a single responsible leader, a ‘Tsar’ to coordinate the response with a mandate to prevent the virus becoming endemic.
• Accelerate the national vaccine programme. The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) must urgently review its estimates and more vaccines must be procured, with coordinated, funded delivery of those vaccines.
• Provide clear, proactive messaging to GBMSM including utilising queer media, apps like Grindr and other social media networks. We urgently need reliable, centralised information on where vaccines are available.
• Fund sexual health services to cope with the additional pressure monkeypox is causing. Terrence Higgins Trust and BASHH estimate £51m in new funding is needed to meet increased demands and maintain other services including PrEP, contraceptives and treatment of acute STIs.
• Provide financial support for people isolating with monkeypox who need it. If this is to be administrated by local government, provide clear guidance and funding.

We cannot resign ourselves to monkeypox becoming endemic. To do so would be to fail a generation of gay and bisexual men. As LGBT+ Councillors and Assembly Members from across the political spectrum, we are united in asking that you act now so that we do not pay a greater cost later.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

 

Cllr Simon Bound, Conservative Party, Baskingstoke and Deane

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall, Liberal Democrats, Bath & North East Somerset

Cllr Jamie Tennant, Labour Party, Birmingham

Cllr Jack Deakin, Labour Party, Birmingham

Cllr Lewis Allison, Labour Party, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

Cllr Anton Georgiou, Liberal Democrats, Brent

Cllr Tom Hathway, Green Party, Bristol

Cllr Carla Denyer, Green Party, Bristol

Cllr Ani Stafford-Townsend , Green Party, Bristol

Cllr Lisa Stone, Green Party, Bristol

Cllr Will Connolly, Liberal Democrats, Bromley

Cllr Simon Jeal, Labour Party, Bromley

Cllr Adam Harrison, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Danny Beales, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Jonathan Simpson MBE, Labour and Co-op Party, Camden

Cllr Lloyd Hatton, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Richard Cotton, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Patricia Callaghan, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Liam Martin-Lane, Labour Party, Camden

Cllr Nancy Jirira, Liberal Democrats, Camden

Cllr Josh Newbury, Labour Party, Cannock Chase

Cllr Josh Bancroft, Conservative Party, Cannock Chase

Cllr Jamie Green, Labour Party, Cardiff

Cllr Tabi Joy, Green Party, Cheltenham

Cllr Simon Bennett, Conservative Party, Wolverhampton

Cllr Ria Patel, Green Party, Croydon

Cllr Samir Dwesar, Conservative Party, Croydon

Cllr Kyle Stealey, Conservative Party, Dartford

Cllr Gary Malcolm, Liberal Democrats, Ealing

Cllr Jacob Birch, Conservative Party, East Riding of Yorkshire

Cllr Josh Babarinde, Liberal Democrats, Eastbourne

Cllr Michael Payne, Labour Party, Gedling

Zack Polanski AM, Green Party, Greater London Assembly

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Cathy Dowse, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Chris May, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Miranda Williams, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Linda Bird, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr John Fahy, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Dave Sullivan, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Sarah Merrill, Labour and Co-operative Party, Greenwich

Cllr Lynne Troughton, Labour Party, Hackney

Cllr Yvonne Maxwell, Labour Party, Hackney

Cllr Lee Laudat-Scott, Labour Party, Hackney

Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas, Labour and Co-operative Party, Hackney

Cllr Grace Adebayo, Labour Party, Hackney

Cllr Simon Whelband, Conservative Party, Harborough District Council

Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison, Liberal Democrats, Haringey

Cllr Nick da Costa, Liberal Democrats, Haringey

Cllr Damien Greenhalgh, Labour and Co-operative Party, High Peak

Cllr Benali Hamdache, Green Party, Islington

Cllr David Robson, Labour Party, Lambeth

Cllr Diogo Costa, Labour Party, Lambeth

Cllr Isla Wrathmell, Labour Party, Lambeth

Cllr Scott Smith, Conservative Party, Lancashire

Cllr James-J Walsh, Labour and Co-operative Party, Lewisham

Cllr Luke Warner, Labour and Co-operative Party, Lewisham

Cllr James Rathbone, Labour and Co-operative Party, Lewisham

Cllr William Cooper, Labour Party, Lewisham

Cllr Paul Bell, Labour Party, Lewisham

Cllr Jack Lavery, Labour and Co-operative Party, Lewisham

Cllr Liam Curran, Labour and Co-operative Party, Lewisham

Cllr Ed Hume, Labour Party, Milton Keynes

Cllr Shanika Mahendran, Labour and Co-operative Party, Milton Keynes

Cllr Alexander Hay, Labour Party, Newcastle

Cllr Stephen Brayshaw, Labour Party, Newham

Cllr Rohit K Dasgupta, Labour and Co-operative Party, Newham

Cllr Neil Wilson, Labour and Co-operative Party, Newham

Cllr James Asser, Labour Party, Newham

Cllr Joshua Garfield, Labour and Co-operative Party, Newham

Cllr Liam Bones, Conservative Party, North Tyneside

Cllr Barry Flux, Conservative Party, Northumberland

Cllr Alexander Catt , Green Party, Norwich City Council

Cllr Lucy Pegg, Green Party, Oxford

Cllr Chris Jarvis, Green Party, Oxford

Cllr Chris Penberthy, Labour Party, Plymouth

Cllr Dylan Tippetts, Labour Party, Plymouth

Cllr Charlotte Cree, Labour Party, Plymouth

Cllr Lewis Gosling, Conservative Party, Portsmouth

Cllr Joel Anthony Herga, Conservative Party. Redbridge

Cllr Mark Santos, Labour and Co-operative Party, Redbridge

Cllr John Howard, Labour Party, Redbridge

Cllr Daniel Morgan-Thomas, Labour Party, Redbridge

Cllr Sam Trask, Conservative Party, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Cllr Karl Johnson, Conservative Party, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Cllr Ros Davis, Labour Party, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Cllr Julie Barton, Labour Party, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Cllr David Foxcroft, Conservative Party, Rossendale

Cllr Steve  Hughes, Labour Party, Rossendale

Cllr Alex Balkan, Conservative Party, Runnymede

Cllr Chris Twells, Liberal Democrats, Salford

Cllr Richard McVittie, Labour Party, Sandwell

Cllr Elisabeth Roberts, Labour Party, Shrewsbury & Atcham

Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Liberal Democrats, Southwark

Cllr David Watson, Liberal Democrats, Southwark

Cllr Catherine Goodman, Green Party, St Neots

Cllr Joe Porter, Conservative Party, Staffordshire Moorlands

Cllr Matthew Furniss, Conservative Party, Surrey

Cllr Sam Bennett, Liberal Democrats, Swansea

Cllr Peter Golds, Conservative Party, Tower Hamlets

Cllr Dave Morgan, Conservative Party, Trafford

Cllr Leighton Rowlands, Conservative Party, Vale of Glamorgan

Cllr Cheryl Briggs, Green Party, Vale of White Horse

Cllr Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrats, Wakefield

Cllr and AM Emma Best, Conservative Party, Greater London Assembly (and Waltham Forest)

Cllr Kira Lewis, Labour Party, Waltham Forest

Cllr Aled Richard-Jones, Conservative Party, Wandsworth

Cllr David Boothroyd, Labour Party, Westminster

Cllr Patrick Lilley, Labour Party, Westminster

Cllr Tim Roca, Labour Party, Westminster

Cllr Helen Belcher, Liberal Democrats, Wiltshire

Cllr Anwen Muston, Labour Party, Wolverhampton Council

Cllr Robyn Norfolk, Labour Party, Worcester

 

 

Cc: Maggie Throup MP, Minister for Public Health