Title

PUBLIC HEALTH

Charity criticises 'small' increase in public health funding

The Government has increased councils' public health grants by £45m for 2021-22.

The Government has increased councils' public health grants by £45m for 2021-22.

Councils will be allocated £3.3bn in public health funding in the next financial year, in addition to £80m to fund drug treatments and more than £70m for weight management services.

However, the 'small' increase was criticised by The Health Foundation charity, which said grant allocations represented a £1bn real terms cut compared to 2015-16.

David Finch, senior fellow at the Health Foundation, said: 'This is a 24% cut – equivalent to £1bn – on a real term per capita basis compared to 2015-16.

'These allocations have come late, just before the start of the next financial year, making planning ahead even more difficult.'

PUBLIC HEALTH

Crossing the capability chasm

By Simon Christian | 20 January 2026

Local government finance leaders are very clear about what they want to focus on, but there is a widening gap between strategic aspiration and operational ba...

PUBLIC HEALTH

What CIPFA's Financial Resilience Index reveals about risk and reform

By Florence Bastos | 20 January 2026

CIPFA and Infoshare+’s Financial Resilience Index shows that better planning horizons will not be enough on their own to bring back long-term financial susta...

PUBLIC HEALTH

CIPFA: Councils' demand and deficit risks deepen

By Ann McGauran | 20 January 2026

Councils are holding higher debt levels and lower usable reserves, leaving the system more leveraged overall, a key financial index has revealed today.

PUBLIC HEALTH

From adult social care international recruitment crisis to collaboration

By Pete Fahy | 19 January 2026

Pete Fahy looks at how the West Midlands is rewriting the future of social care workforce planning following the closure of the health and care visa route to...

Popular articles by MJ Editor