At last night’s Council meeting (24 June), a notice of motion
was passed calling upon the Government to reconsider its proposed
cut in public health funding and honour its previous funding
commitments as set out in the local government finance settle in
March 2015.
Only six months’ ago, the Government set its budget which
included the Public Health Grant for 2015/16. Based on the
funding allocations, a programme of work has been confirmed in
Knowsley, focusing on the key health priorities in the borough and
a range of initiatives in order to support health
improvements.
This includes weight management programmes, smoking cessation
services and physical activity schemes. Investment in such
programmes is essential to reduce the burden of preventable disease
on the NHS.
Cllr Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Public Health and
Wellbeing, commented “Public Health plays a key role in preventing
people from having to access NHS services. Funding cuts to
this vital work will mean more demand on the NHS rather than focus
on what causes people to be ill in the first place and I would call
on the Government to reverse their decision to reduce funding in
this priority area. Local authorities are best placed to know
the needs of their communities and focus preventative measures
where they are needed, when they are needed.”