NEW analysis claims that public health funding in Wiltshire dropped by a quarter since 2015/16.

In 2021/22, Wiltshire was allocated £17,342,726 through the ring-fenced public health grant which equates to around £39 for every resident under 75.

Analysis from the Health Foundation claims that this is 24 per cent less than six years ago when the same figure was £51 per person.

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Similar levels of cuts per capita can be seen across England between 2015/16.

According to Wiltshire Council, the figure for this year is higher than the grant allocated at the start of the pandemic – a figure which stood at £16.9m.

This is a drop of around 2.5 per cent from the 2018/19 funding which was £17.4m.

Director of public health, Kate Blackburn said: “The current public health grant remains ring-fenced for use on public health functions exclusively, for all ages.

“As a local authority, public health team we operate in an evidence-based, data-led manner, seeking to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of all Wiltshire residents.

“Operating with a ring-fenced budget allows us to design and deliver work which optimises health and wellbeing outcomes for our residents.

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“The impact of Covid on the health and wellbeing of our population has placed further pressure on wider system responses, alongside the economic impact and a growing population.

“The ring-fenced grant amounts provide opportunities to ensure that we can continue to work to prevent ill health and work in a holistic manner by addressing the broader social and environmental factors which drive health inequalities across Wiltshire.”