ADPH’s Spending Review Submission 2024

As part of the Government’s Spending Review, organisations are able to make representations to the Treasury.

In our submission, we have highlighted the importance of investing in public health to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities.

Summary

• Cuts to public health funding over the past decade have had a severe effect on health and wellbeing. Without sufficient funding, the public’s health will continue to decline and health inequalities will continue to widen.
• Public health funding is used by DsPH and their local public health teams across the UK to fund vital areas such as children’s services, drug and alcohol services, and sexual health services and to enable partnership working.
• Over the past decade, there have been cuts to public funding across the UK, including a 28% real terms per person cut in the value of the public health grant in England. Almost a decade of cuts has widened inequities across local authorities (LAs) with the most disadvantaged areas receiving the largest funding cuts.
• Whilst one-off funding pots have been introduced for specific causes and areas (eg drug and alcohol treatment funding), these are insufficient to improve public health in the long term. Many grants have a cliff edge on the horizon in 2025 which will result in the reduction or closure of vital services.
• The wider determinants of health, including our homes and our schools, require sufficient funding if we want to ensure good health for local populations in the long term. Unless they are given sufficient funding, LAs are unable to deliver better life opportunities for local communities.
• Investment in prevention and public health will help deliver economic growth and should be at the centre of all Government policies.