Local authorities given £5 billion public health funding boost
Published 10 January 2013
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that £5.45 billion of ringfenced funding will be given to local authorities over the next two years to promote health and prevention of illness.
The money, which is being ringfenced for the first time, is to be divided up depending on health outcomes with areas with the greatest needs receiving more money.
Areas that local authorities can choose to spend the funding on to drive improvement in health and wellbeing include social care, transport, housing and planning.
Alzheimer's Society comment:
'It is vital that when it comes to people’s health, we aren’t simply closing the gate after the horse has bolted. Promoting health and prevention of illness is an important way of improving quality of life as well as saving the NHS millions.
'Dementia is the biggest health and social care challenge of our generation costing the UK £23 billion each year. There are ways people can reduce their risk of developing the condition and more can be done to improve how well people live with it. This has to be a public health priority.'
Louise Lakey
Policy Manager
Alzheimer’s Society
