PUBLIC health funding per head in Warrington has been cut by almost a quarter over six years in real terms, analysis has revealed.

Health leaders and charities have urged the Government to increase spending after figures showed England’s public health grant has fallen by around £1billion in real terms since 2015-16.

This central funding is given to local authorities to deliver vital preventative and treatment services, such as help to stop smoking, children’s health services and sexual health clinics.

Analysis by the Health Foundation shows Warrington was allocated £12.5million through the public health grant for 2021-22 – equating to around £65 for every resident under the age of 75.

However, this was 22 per cent less than in 2015-16, when it received £83 per head in real terms.

A slightly larger cut of 24 per cent per capita was made across England over this period, which the Health Foundation say is equivalent to a reduction of £1billion in real terms.

The under-75 population is used for calculations as it is seen as a better representation of the people likely to be using these services.

Commenting on the analysis, Prof Steven Broomhead MBE, chief executive of Warrington Borough Council and chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, voiced his frustration.

“It is vital that we invest in measures to prevent ill health and reduce health inequities in our town,” he said.

“The real term reduction in the public health grant is disappointing, and we will be raising this matter with central government.

“It does not fit with its levelling up ambition or our plan to improve overall wellbeing in our town.”

The Association of Directors of Public Health has written an open letter, backed by more than 50 charities and organisations, saying there ‘could not be a more prudent time’ to increase local public health funding.

Jim McManus, ADPH interim president, added: “Investing in local public health is critical to levelling up.

“The costs of not doing so are clear – health and wellbeing will worsen further, health inequalities will grow and too much potential in our society and economy will remain untapped.”

Analysis by the Health Foundation found funding for stop smoking services and tobacco control has been cut by about a third – the greatest real-terms fall.

Funding for drug and alcohol services has been cut 17 per cent in real terms, while sexual health services have seen a real-terms fall of 14 per cent, with only child obesity services seeing an increase.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The Government is supporting directors of public health and their teams to protect and improve public health and wellbeing by making over £10billion available to local councils to address the wider costs and impacts of Covid-19.

“We have also increased the local authority public health grant to over £3.3billion this year and allocated additional funding to tackle obesity and drug addiction.”