Public health staff shortage warning as infections rise

Councils have warned of public health workforce shortages and staff exhaustion concerns given a rise in coronavirus community transmission rates.

The Local Government Association has said that there are growing concerns among councils that staff have been left exhausted from the strain of tackling the pandemic in local communities over the last two years, with local authorities finding it increasingly challenging to recruit and retain staff.

A new survey of councils found that more than half say their public health services are running with disruptions as a result of staffing shortages. In addition to this, one sixth of councils said public health is one of the service areas most at risk from a lack of staffing capacity.

Analysis shows that the public health grant, which provides dedicated funding for all council public health functions, has been reduced by 24 per cent in real terms since 2015/16, equivalent to a total reduction of £1 billion. The greatest reductions have been in deprived areas with the highest levels of health inequalities.

The LGA, along with the Association of Directors of Public Health, are calling for greater support from the government to enable councils to retain and recruit local public health officials. This should be in the form of long term funding increases, including an extension of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund, so public health services can retain expertise they built during the pandemic and can stand up support to tackle future variants.

David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Local public health teams have gone above and beyond over the last two years to support their communities through the pandemic. It is clear that staff are exhausted from this effort and there are growing gaps in the public health workforce.

“Although restrictions have been eased in England, community transmission is on the rise again and Covid-19 has sadly not gone away. To tackle this – alongside the wide range of services they provide, such as tackling childhood obesity and treating substance misuse - councils need a real terms increase in their public health grant as well as long term funding assurances from the government.

“Our report demonstrates clearly how work to protect and improve health and well-being has expanded greatly since the transfer of public health responsibilities to local councils. With the right support, local public health services can keep our communities healthy and keep the pressure off our under strain NHS and care systems.”