Continuing uncertainty around councils’ public health funding risks exacerbating a growing crisis of demand for support services, including for drug and alcohol treatment, the LGA has warned.
As first was going to press, the Government had yet to publish the public health grant funding allocations that councils will receive from April.
Time is running out for councils to make critical decisions on renewing contracts for vital public health services, including for health visiting, sexual and reproductive health, and suicide prevention – potentially leaving people without crucial help and support.
Drug and alcohol treatment, tackling obesity, and health visiting are among the vital frontline services at risk of being cut back or closing altogether, unless public health funding for the next year is finally set out, the LGA has warned.
Directors of public health and their teams have continued to lead their communities through the pandemic, encouraging vaccine take-up, setting up contact tracing partnerships and tackling local outbreaks, said the LGA.
The public health grant also crucially pays for councils’ health protection measures, such as in planning for and responding to incidents that present a threat to the public’s health.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Demand for vital treatment for drug and alcohol misuse, obesity, mental health and children’s health is rising and at risk of not being met, while we are still grappling with the impact of the Omicron surge.
“The unprecedented mental and physical health toll of the pandemic will mean we could be seeing many more people coming forward for support, in addition to an existing backlog that has built up over the past two years.
“It is wrong that we are still in the dark about how much there is to spend on this essential treatment and support, which will better protect our population from future pandemics.
“The Government should act now and publish councils’ public health grant without further delay, so that we can get on with planning ahead for an anticipated post-COVID surge in requests for help.”
