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David Ward MP <>
David challenges Minister over Bradford PCT’s health cuts
October 19, 2011 11:24 AM
David Ward MP has challenged the public health minister Ann Milton over front line job losses in key health improvement roles.
At Health Questions tod 
ay in the House of Commons David Ward demanded action over cuts to vital health improvement services in Bradford, such as weight management, smoking cessation, physical activity promotion, sexual health, community development and diabetes awareness-raising.
Public health functions are due to be handed to local authorities in 2013, but the transition is being managed by Primary Care Trusts.
In a recent letter to the Department of Health, David expressed concern that while many PCTs were maintaining their public healh budgets in the run up to local authority control, Bradford and Airedale plan to make over half of their public health staff redundant against strong Government guidance.
In response, the Public Health Minister Ann Milton has said that public helath budgets should be ring fenced, and that she will raise the issue with local officials.
Commenting, David said:
"Public health budgets always get raided when times are tough and this is a terrible false economy. Spending a little money to help someone to stop smoking or to lose weight can save vastly more in acute care for serious conditions further down the line.
"It is right that the Government has decided to ring fence public health budgets after they are transferred to local authorities but they need to be protected now as well. Otherwise the Council will not have the tools it needs to tackle the serious health inequalities that we face in a place like Bradford.
"Ministers cannot wash their hands of this. The Government needs to make it crystal clear to the PCT that they should not be making these cuts."
"I will also be pressing to make sure that the budgets which get transferred to local authorities are adequate for their new responsibilities, without passing the burden on to hard pressed local tax payers."
David Ward's Question is below:
David Ward (Bradford East, Liberal Democrat)
In a recent ministerial response, I was informed that public health services were a matter for the local NHS and that it would not be appropriate for Ministers to become involved or intervene. The transfer of staff from PCTs to local authorities excludes staff delivering services relating to weight management, smoking cessation, physical activity promotion, sexual health, community development and diabetes awareness-raising. How on earth can local authorities pick up the responsibilities without being given the staff who would enable them to do it?
Anne Milton (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health), Health; Guildford, Conservative)
The transition period is critical, and there is no suggestion that local authorities will not have all the tools in the box to enable them not only reduce to health inequalities, but to improve the public's health. As we have stated many times, it is absolutely dreadful that under the last Government health inequalities increased rather than decrease.