Final chance to have your say on £7m cuts to Hampshire health services

To match ongoing reductions in local government funding, Hampshire County Council is looking to make £6.8m in savings from its public health budget.

As reported, it is planned this will be taken from substance misuse treatment, anti-smoking campaigns, sexual health and 0-19 public health nursing, which covers health visiting and school nursing.

Local residents have until this coming Monday, August 9 to take part in a consultation on these proposals.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, the council’s public health boss, said: ‘Thank you to everyone who has given their views so far. There is still time for people to have their say, and I would urge people to do so.

‘The county council’s public health service has worked hard to reduce its costs by improving efficiency and early intervention and prevention, thereby limiting the impact of savings on front line service delivery. However, opportunities to further reduce costs are getting harder to find, and extra pressures mean that an additional £6.8m must now be found, from a total budget of £52.9m in 2021/22, to help the county council to balance its overall budget.’

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The consultation proposals focus on a series of potential changes within the four service areas, including reducing the number of premises from which services are delivered, as well as staffing levels in commissioned services, a reduction in behaviour change campaigns, plus proposing a digital-only offer for some elements of support.

To take part visit hants.gov.uk/public-health-consultation.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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