Public health grant not enough to stop service cuts

The government announced the public health allocations to local authorities on Tuesday – less than a month before the start of the new financial year. Funding will be increased by 3.3% in cash terms in 2023/24 to £3.53bn and the government has indicated there will be a 1.3% increase in 2024/25 to £3.58bn.

Public health minister Neil O’Brien (pictured) said: ‘Funding for local government’s health responsibilities is an essential element of our commitment to invest in preventing ill health, promoting healthier lives and addressing health disparities and an important complement to our plans to invest strongly in both health and social care.’

The grant is ringfenced for use on public health functions – including those arising from Covid – and underspends can normally be carried forward.

But the Association of Directors of Public Health warned that the announcement was ‘far too little, far too late’ and the increase would not be enough to stop cuts in services ‘even though there is strong evidence for their impact and effectiveness’. It added that public health budgets faced additional burdens – including pressures from NHS pay awards.

David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said the clarity on how much local authorities would get was welcome, but soaring demand for public health services meant councils would still face significant challenges.

‘As a country, we face an unavoidable choice; invest more in preventative action or keep paying the social and economic consequences of not doing so. At a time when NHS and social care pressures are greater than ever, vital sexual health, drug, alcohol and health visiting services cannot keep living a hand-to-mouth existence, with insufficient resources to meet this demand and late announcements about funding,’ he said.

And Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, added: ‘After eight years of real-terms cuts to the public health grant and the rising need for these services in the face of the health impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, health leaders will be concerned that the cash terms increase of 3.3 per cent for 2023/24 alongside an indicative increase of 1.3 per cent in cash terms for 2024/25 will not be sufficient.’ She added the late allocation of the grant ‘undermined the ability of local health leaders to make best use of it’.