The Government has said its public health grant allocations to councils, published in February, will deliver a real-terms increase of more than 4 per cent over 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The LGA called the increase “positive”, but stressed that the settlement still leaves local public health teams with limited resources for essential services such as sexual health services and specialist community public health nursing for the next financial year.
The latest LGA analysis shows that, in real terms, councils in England have seen an £858 million reduction in their public health grant since 2015.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Public health teams have faced an unprecedented period of pressures, with funding levels not keeping pace with demand. Sufficient ongoing funding is needed to ensure local authorities can meet their statutory public health responsibilities.
“It is vitally important that the Government continues to address challenges that arise over the coming months and years. We will continue to make the case for multi-year settlements and for more long-term certainty around public health funding.
“An increased focus on prevention through an uplift to the grant is urgently needed, as well as a wider review of the adequacy of public health funding. This will support the Government’s wider aims by improving health outcomes, reducing health spending, and putting social care and the NHS on a better footing for the long term.”