Council announces plans to reduce health service spending in Peterborough by £440k a year

Residents are being asked for their views on a proposal to change public health spending in Peterborough.

Peterborough City Council receives an annual grant from the Government to provide public health services which is ringfenced, meaning it has to be spent on improving the health of residents.

Some of the services the authority provides are mandatory, meaning it has no choice over whether to provide them. These include substance misuse services, health visitors and sexual health services.

However, there are a number of other services the council provides which it has a choice over - such as those that aim to change behaviours leading to poorer health outcomes.

A spokesperson for the council explained: “Over the last 10 years public health funding in Peterborough has not increased in line with inflation or population growth in the city. Therefore, the council has significantly lower public health funding per head of population than other similar local authorities.

“If Peterborough’s funding was the same level as the average for similar local authorities outside of London, the council would have an extra £2.95million per year to spend on public health in Peterborough.

“As a result of these funding challenges, the council needs to reduce its spending on discretionary public health services by £440,000 per annum.

“It is proposed that the savings are made by reducing spending on health trainers and adult weight management services, where evidence shows the impact of these services on weight reduction in adults is low. Instead, support will be focussed on activities which prevent people becoming overweight - including advice around diet and exercise. People will continue to receive weight management support from the NHS.”

In addition, it is proposed that NHS Health Checks in community settings are reduced, however the council asserts these checks will still be provided by GP practices.

The council will continue to provide behaviour change services in relation to smoking cessation and children’s weight management.

Councillor Shabina Qayyum, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care, said: “Previous Directors of Public Health have written to the Government about the severe underfunding of public health services in Peterborough and the impact this is having on our ability to address health inequalities.

“The Government is listening and in January announced an uplift in the region of £400,000 in our Public Health grant for the current financial year.

“However, with the demands from our growing population, and now that we have a dedicated Peterborough public health service following the conclusion of the shared service with Cambridgeshire County Council, this simply isn’t enough to continue providing all the services we have been.

“We have looked at the services we have a choice over providing and it is those where the impact is lowest, and where there are alternatives offered by the NHS, where we are proposing to reduce funding.”

She added: “Please take part in this consultation so your views can be considered before a decision is made.”

More information about the proposal is available on the council’s website, along with the survey. Hard copies can be requested by emailing [email protected]

The consultation closes at midnight on 25 June. Comments received will be considered prior to a recommendation being made to Cabinet in July.