Healthy lives, healthy people: our strategy for public health in England
A radical plan to go further and faster in tackling today’s causes of premature death and illness and reduce health inequalities, with a public health service to make it happen, has been unveiled by Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley.
Public Health England will be created as a service that gives more power to local people over their health, whilst keeping a firm national grip on crucial population-wide issues such as flu pandemics.
The White Paper, Healthy Lives, Healthy People also sets out how funding from the overall NHS budget will be ring-fenced for spending on public health – a recognition that prevention is better than cure. Early estimates suggest that current spend on areas that are likely to be the responsibility of Public Health England could be in the range of £4 billion.
For the first time in a generation, central Government will not hold all the purse strings. The majority of public health services will be commissioned by Local Authorities from their ring-fenced budget, or by the NHS, all funded from Public Health England’s new public health budget.
More information on the proposals can be found below or at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_121941
The closing date for responses is 8 March 2011 and you can respond to the consultation questions by:
- Writing to: Public Health Consultation Department of Health Room G13, Wellington House 133–155 Waterloo Road London SE1 8UG
- E-mail: publichealthengland@dh.gsi.giv.uk
Two further consultations will be published: on the funding and commissioning of public health; and on the outcomes framework and relevant indicators for the public health system.
Return to previous consultations page
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