Prof John Middleton, President of the UK Faculty of Public Health, comments on NHS funding announcement

Prof John Middleton, President of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: “We welcome today’s NHS funding announcement and we’re particularly pleased that the Prime Minister has put preventing ill-health as one of five priorities for the NHS’s new 10-year plan.

“Not only is it better for everyone if more people are happier and healthier for longer without the need to visit a hospital, but it also costs less to prevent someone becoming ill in the first place rather than having to treat their illness. If we can prevent as many people as possible from having to go to hospital for treatment then we can use precious NHS funding more effectively to help save and improve more lives.

“With our ageing, changing and growing population, it is also vital that we recognise that the NHS cannot deliver better health outcomes for the people it serves on its own. It requires a coordinated, integrated approach to reform and new investment across the NHS, social care and public health services based in local government.

“While today’s NHS announcements are welcome, it is difficult to make a definitive judgement about whether the public’s health and wellbeing will be significantly improved over the next decade until we know more about the long-term future and funding of social care and public health. We therefore look forward to working with the Government and others ahead of next year’s Spending Review to ensure there is sufficient funding and a long-term plan that supports the NHS, social care and public health as a whole.”

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About FPH's public health funding campaign

As we celebrate the NHS at 70, many in the health community are taking this moment to ask some big questions about the kind of future we envision for our health system and the level of funding support necessary to realise it. We believe that public health and prevention must be central in this national debate about the future of NHS funding and we’d like your support to help us make that case. If you work in the NHS delivering prevention, or have an interest in it, please consider joining our ‘sounding board’ of members and clinicians who are helping us develop policy on this issue. For more info, please email policy@fph.org.uk or click here.

About the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH)

FPH is a membership organisation for 4,000 public health professionals from across the UK and around the world, and is a registered charity. Our role is to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities and national populations. We support the training of public health professionals and campaign to improve health policy in partnership with local and national governments.

For further information, please contact:

Haidee O’Donnell
Senior media & comms officer
Tel: 020 3696 1478
Email: haideeodonnell@fph.org.uk