NHS Confederation responds to the Health Foundation's analysis on the public health grant

Responding to the Health Foundation’s analysis on the public health grant, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation said:

“The results of this latest research will be of real concern to health service leaders, but sadly it will not come as a surprise, given the recent national policy paralysis on preventative public health.

“Amidst the political chaos of recent weeks there has so far been no mention of how the government plans to address rapidly increasing health inequalities. Any cuts to the public health grant will particularly impact communities living in the most deprived areas.

“With the country in the midst of cost-of-living crisis, and as we head into one of the worst winters on record for the health service, concentrated central action on public health is needed now more than ever.

“We urgently need to see cross government action on the wider determinants of health to support local health and care systems to tackle health inequalities with the aim to ease the unsustainable demand the NHS is currently under. It is vital that we now see a detailed cross government health inequalities strategy published without delay.”