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Written question asked by Baroness Greengross (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 29 June 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 July 2021. It was answered by Lord Bethell (Conservative) on Thursday, 8 July 2021 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Preventive Medicine: Finance

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to invest in preventative healthcare; and what assessment they have made of the effect of such investment on (1) the waiting lists for hospital treatment, and (2) demand for NHS services generally.

Answer

Local authorities in England receive a public health grant to support their statutory duty to improve the health of their population. The public health grant to local authorities in England has increased from £3.279 billion in 2020/21 to £3.324 billion in 2021/22.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits to a range of actions to prevent ill health, including the prevention of up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases over a 10 year period. Although no formal assessment has yet been made on the effects on investing in preventative healthcare on waiting lists and demand, it is estimated there will be a significant positive impact on National Health Service waiting lists as part of recovery from the pandemic. Preventative interventions can deliver significant health benefits for individuals as well as reducing the burden of preventable illness on the NHS.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1524
Session
2021-22
Subjects
Hospitals Finance Preventive medicine Waiting lists
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk