Public health cuts

Proposed cuts of £200m to public health services would be deeply counter-productive to the health of our nation

Sir, We believe the proposed £200 million of cuts to public health budgets would be harmful both to the health of the population in England and to long-term efforts to reduce cost pressures.

Public health services target some of the most significant challenges of our time, such as smoking, alcohol misuse, obesity and inactivity. For the NHS and social care to cope with challenges posed by growing demand and limited resources, there needs to be an increased emphasis on preventing ill-health.

NHS England’s “Five Year Forward View”, which has been fully adopted by the government, recognised this. It made prevention its cornerstone, establishing a consensus around which real progress could be made.

As the Department of Health launches this consultation, we urge the government to