NHS Long-Term Plan

Kevan Jones Excerpts

Monday 18th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I am happy to look again at that issue, which I have looked at in the past for my hon. Friend.

[Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham) (Lab)]

I welcome any new money for the NHS, but does the Secretary of State agree that prevention is better than cure? Durham County Council has had its public health budget cut every single year for the last eight years. Can he tell me how much of this new money will be going to public health, or is he now going to have another fight with the Treasury to get it to release more money for public health?

[Mr Hunt]

Today’s announcement is for NHS England’s core frontline services, but the right hon. Gentleman is right about the critical role of public health. Many of those services are delivered by the NHS, and we are very clear in what we are saying today and in a further announcement we will make in due course that there cannot be a transformation of the NHS without a proper emphasis on public health.