‘Significant impact’ fears over lack of public health funding

Calls have been made for more funding for public health services in Shropshire after it was revealed that it receives just £37 per resident funding.

Shropshire Council’s director of public health, Rachel Robinson, has called on councillors to “lobby wherever we can” for more funding.

It comes as it is revealed the English average is £62 per head government funding – £25 more per person than Shropshire receives.

And Ms Robinson said the funding situation is having a “significant impact” on public health services.

She said: “This together with wider health and care pressures on local authorities and the NHS in Shropshire, have had a significant impact on the health and care systems ability to invest in prevention and wellbeing.”

Shropshire Council was forced to stop funding the Help2Quit and Help2Slim smoking and obesity services due to budget pressures.

Ms Robinson told a meeting of the council’s health and adult social care scrutiny committee that Shropshire was the 17th lowest funded authority in the country.

She said: “We need to do what we can because we are one of the lowest funded county’s because public health is a shared responsibility.

“We are the 17th lowest in the country at just £37 per head of population and actually, we need to do what we can to lobby wherever we can if I am allowed to say that.

“We need to make the most of what we have got.

“Shropshire services need to be targeted at what we need. One size does not fit all and Shropshire has a unique challenge being rural.”

Ms Robinson said that there is an ambition that the Help2 services would be re-designed and re-integrated with other health groups coming forward.

But she added that smoking in pregnancy work would continue and options are being looked at.

“As for smoking in pregnancy, vouchers for mothers has worked in some areas,” she said.

“Rewarding them with vouchers to get something for the baby if they can quit has been a popular choice in some places.

“But it doesn’t work everywhere and early intervention is also a good way to look at it.

“We need to think about keeping people well first and foremost.

“The new model of care focuses on a whole family and healthy mum approach, embed in the hospital with training for a wider range of staff on an ongoing basis.”

She said that mental health and suicide was also a major challenge.

“Mentak health is also a growing concern in adults and children in the county and we need to look at it – and also suicide figure,” she said.

“Other work includes delivery of the suicide prevention action plan.”

She added: “The requirement to achieve financial savings through the reconfiguration of Public Health forms part of the council’s financial strategy for 2019-20 to 2021-22.

“Any change in funding could impact on the services  and have a further impact on public health commissioned services.

“Public Health and finance continue to monitor this risk.”