Government announces £2.2bn public health funding for councils

Government announces £2.2bn public health funding for councils:

Health secretary Andrew Lansley reveals first estimates for local government funding, but confusion over future responsibilities remains

The Department of Health has announced the first estimates for public health funding under the new NHS structure, promising that at least £2.2bn will be paid directly to local authorities.

The announcement, made on Tuesday by health secretary Andrew Lansley, will see £5.2bn spent on public health services in total, although it is not yet clear exactly which areas councils will take responsibility for. Lansley said: "In the future, we want money to get to where it matters most – to the front line, where it can have the greatest impact on health.

"There is more work to do, but these estimates mean that Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities can begin planning how to deliver the frontline services that matter the most," he added.

The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the announcement, but warned against basing funding estimates on out of date information. Councillor David Rogers, chair of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: "Local authorities are ready to pick up the mantle of public health but we must be given the right resources to do so. Only then can councils truly be at the forefront of tackling the social factors that contribute to poor health and providing services that help people to live long and healthy lives."

Michael Gosling, cabinet member for adult social care and health at Surrey county council called for more specific information about how the £2.2bn would be distributed.

"Our worry at the present time is not what the headline figure is, but how much of that will come to Surrey as a county. There is no doubt about it that there are authorities that have a greater need for public health money than ourselves, but Surrey still has issues and worries about certain social factors within public health," he said.

"We now need to understand which of the public health roles are fully with Public Health England and which are devolved to the local authority. I would like to see an end to uncertainly so we can get on and do what we need to do."

The Guardian Professional.