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If you give councillors control of these budgets they might just talk to local communities about what their priorities are (as other commentators point out they need to do this to get elected). If they did this and the NHS worked closer with councils then maybe, just maybe, the NHS might actually be able to reconfigure its hospitals successfully and spend the £107bn on health rather than just hospitals. How come councillors are able to open and close libraries, schools, care homes on a daily basis (and often in the teeth of significant opposition) when the NHS constantly fails to do so. Maybe a little positive engagement might do some good.