Agenda item - Impact of the In-year Reduction to the Local Authority Public Health Grant Allocation 2015/16

Report of the Director of Public Health (copy attached).

46.1      The Business Manager for Public Health introduced the report which outlined the impact of the recent government announcements on public health budgets and the savings identified in order to come within budget.  She stated that further discussions were being held with providers and services in order to identify savings across all the various contracts and to see way budgets could be pooled to provide better provision.

46.2      Councillor Mac Cafferty stated that the reduction in public health budgets was not good news and expressed his concern on how services would be maintained and vulnerable communities protected.  He noted that throughout the meeting there had been mention of integrating services and provision and hoped that this would result in an ability to meet the savings required, but again expressed his concern as to how such reductions would enable the delivery of the Health & Wellbeing Strategy.

46.3      The Director of Public Health stated that it was a difficult situation and that all proposals would need to be carefully scrutinised to ensure that services could be maintained.

46.4      Dr. Beesley stated that there was a need to look at budgets in the round and not just in Public Health and hoped that this would be something that could be taken forward as part of the process.  There was a need to look across the whole of the city and health pathways in the required savings were to be achieved and services provided to those in need.

46.5      The Chair noted the comments and stated that money spent in Public Health was a good investment, however reductions had been made on a national basis and these needed to be tackled.

46.6      RESOLVED: That the report be noted.