Lancashire to see benefits of shift in health approach from treatment to prevention

Royal Preston Hospital Emergency Department Pic: Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire will see both short and long-term benefits from a boost to its public health budget, the government has claimed.

The county will have an additional £6.4m to plough into preventative measures like child health programmes, smoking cessation and sexual health clinics from April.

The money – which is ringfenced and so cannot be spent on broader health needs – will be sent to the three top-tier authorities with responsibility for public health in the area.

The grant for Lancashire County Council will increase by £4.5m compared to last year, bringing it to £81.2m for 2025/26 – a 5.9 percent rise. Blackpool Council will get a £1.08m uplift, taking its public health funding from the government to £21.5m, while Blackburn with Darwen Council’s grant will go up by £867,000 to £17.3m – increases of 5.2 percent for both authorities.

Public health and prevention minister Andrew Gwynne said it marked a reversal of cuts – or at best “flat cash” – in terms of public health funding nationwide over nearly a decade.

He also said Lancashire could expect to see some effects immediately – and others as part of “generational” changes similar to those brought about by previous Labour governments’ Sure Start programme for children and families.

“It’s a signal of intent of the new Labour government that we are serious about this shift from sickness to prevention.

“If you are able to successfully give up smoking, there are health benefits to the person…and there are massive benefits to the NHS, because the risk of cardio-vascular disease, stroke and other entirely preventable illnesses that smoking helps to generate…drop[s] considerably, almost immediately.

“[But] some of these things are long-burners – child health, in particular,” Mr. Gwynne said.

He added that the funding would have “a huge knock-on benefit to…waiting times” and stressed that the government wanted to tackle health inequalities in “the most deprived parts of the country”.

Lancashire has 16 of the 50 most deprived localities in England according to the most recent index of multiple deprivation – with parts of Blackpool occupying eight of the top ten spots.

After the funding increases for 2025/26, public health spending per head of population will stand at £64.96 in the county council area, £154.64 in Blackpool and £115.65 in Blackburn with Darwen.

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