Funding for public health services in Plymouth labelled 'shameful' following increase of 64p per person
Councillors at Plymouth City Council say the "below-inflation" increase, awarded by the Government, is putting local people's lives at risk
Funding for public health services in Plymouth has been branded "shameful" by local councillors after the Government awarded the city an increase of 64p per person.
Councillors at Plymouth City Council have said the 'below-inflation' increase is putting the health and wellbeing of local people's lives at risk, after a year struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, the city council has been responsible for providing a range of services to help tackle COVID-19 infection rates, from local track and trace, supporting the roll-out of the vaccine and protecting the vulnerable. These responsibilities are set to continue for months to come.
Yet despite this, and the growing uncertainties of the wider impact of the pandemic on the city, the Government has only allocated the Council £58.61 per head of population, a rise of only 64p per person. In real terms, this is a cut.
Councillor Kate Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board for Plymouth Council, said,
"This funding allocation is nothing short of shameful. The Government's investment in the health and wellbeing of local people is woefully inadequate. We have local people who need our help and these additional pennies don't even scratch the surface.
"Throughout the last 12 months, we have seen all too clearly how public health matters, and for that not to be recognised in this funding announcement will make the job of tackling the issues that COVID-19 has either caused, exacerbated or highlighted, so much harder. How we are supposed to improve lives and reduce the strain on the NHS if the Government aren't prepared to put their hand in their very deep pockets?
"Yet again, councils will be forced to come to the rescue and bail out the Government when they have failed to act."
Public Health funding per head of population for Plymouth has been historically lower than it should have been since the service moved from the NHS to the local authority.
Councillors have said that yet again, Plymouth's allocation is substantially lower than other areas of the country. For example, the City of London has been allocated over £188 per head of population, and Kensington and Chelsea £138.
In addition, they said the allocation does not take into account the health inequality in the city - with one in five children living in poverty.