The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed how much funding local authorities around the country will benefit from through Public Health Grants.
Indicative allocations for the 2024/25 financial year were published alongside the confirmed allocations for 2023/24, giving local authorities more of an idea of the funding that they can plan with, however, £3.603 billion worth of allocations has been confirmed.
With funding ringfenced for public health functions, grants will be given out in quarterly instalments coming on the 5th April 2024, 5th July 2024, 4th October 2024, and 3rd January 2025. The three highest funding allocations are:
- £101,255,586 – Birmingham
- £53,886,054 – County Durham
- £68,715,404 – Essex
None of the ten local authorities within Greater Manchester will be allocated any funding from the public health grant, as they are currently piloting public health funding through the retention of business rates.
Responding to the funding announcements, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board Cllr David Fothergill, said:
“Although any real terms increase is positive news, this settlement continues to leave local public health teams with limited resources to maintain essential services such as sexual health services and specialist community public health nursing for the next year.
“Public health teams have faced an unprecedented period of pressures, with funding levels not keeping pace with demand. Sufficient ongoing funding is needed to ensure all local authorities can continue to meet their statutory public health responsibilities.
“It is vitally important that the Government continues to address challenges which arise over the coming months and years.”
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