Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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.

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.