Council lashes out at government cuts to public health services

PLANNED national government cuts to essential public health services  were today slammed by Warrington Borough Council chiefs.
The Department of Health intend to reduce the Public Health allocations by £200m in-year for 2015/16, which will result in a £737,000 cut to the grant for Warrrington.
The council have condemned the “poor planning practice” and believe their warnings to the Department of Health have been “ignored” as fears surround the unplanned and reactive cuts to important and essential services.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin (above), the council’s lead member for public health and wellbeing said: “This news comes as a massive blow to public health services in Warrington.
“The grant funds essential services, many of which were previously provided by the NHS and handed over to local government. These include the NHS health checks programme, which aims to detect crucial health problems as early as possible. It also includes sexual health treatment and prevention services, health visiting and school nursing services, drug and alcohol treatment and prevention services, obesity and smoking cessation services and many others. It also includes many utilised and appreciated services such as the cancer iVan.
“It is shameful that these cuts are happening at a time when so much of what we do in Warrington is leading to improvements, such as reduced smoking prevalence to 13 per cent in adults, rates reducing quicker in cardiovascular disease than those at a national rate, improved healthy life expectancy and reduced alcohol-related admissions to hospital.
“Funding cuts could lead to a reversal in these trends with a consequent adverse impact on the NHS and social care. In addition there is still much to do, such as tackling our internal inequalities in health and addressing the obesity epidemic. These cuts will reduce our resources for fighting for better health and wellbeing for the people of Warrington.”
Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board and chief executive of the council, Professor Steven Broomhead, said: “The latest cuts go against national policies regarding health prevention and improvement and make it harder for us to maintain good quality health services to our local people and businesses. This is yet another example of making cuts before considering the actual, real consequences of their decisions.”
Cllr Russ Bowden (right), lead member for corporate finance said: “Local councils are already under severe financial pressure and have borne more than their fair share of government cuts to public spending. The proposed cut to public health simply places more stress on a system already at financial breaking point.
“The options open to local authorities to fund public health services under different models are very limited as they are provided under NHS rules and free at the point of delivery. Deriving income from these services is not an option, so making cuts adds a further burden to organisations already under huge financial pressure.
“Not only is it exceptionally bad planning but also puts our contracts and programmes that we are delivering well, in jeopardy.”
The council also warns that the cuts will also exacerbate significant local problems including the financial pressures already faced by Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The trust is currently seeking financial support and the system in Warrington is under pressure from local government cuts.