Trusts raid public health funds to cover NHS debts

NHS trusts across England used funds earmarked for public health to avoid financial crisis instead of tackling key issues such as obesity, alcohol misuse, and sexual health, a survey of public health directors has found.

Responses from 103 of England's 152 primary care trusts to the survey by the Association of Public Health Directors showed that two thirds of the 2006-7 public health allocation was spent on servicing debts. Less than a 10th of trusts used the full allocation for its intended purpose.

Following on from the 2004 government white paper Choosing Health: …