Conservative government slashes £4 million from Kent's Health service

Kent County Councillors have been told that the new Conservative Government is already planning a £200 million cut in national Public Health funding, which will mean a cut of £4 million in Kent's Public Health Service.

Trudy Dean, Lib Dem Group Leader at Kent County Council said:

"This is an incredibly short sighted cut to services that stop people suffering the misery of falling ill in the first place, and it will cost the taxpayer more in the long run. KCC Public Health work includes providing help to stop smoking to avoid lung cancer, activities to help people to lose weight to avoid diabetes, and support to reduce drinking excessive alcohol to avoid liver and heart disease. All of these painful and life shortening illnesses are preventable for many people and the cost of treating them could be saved. For instance, illness resulting from smoking alone costs Kent's GPs, Hospitals and others over £100 million each year....far more than is taken in tax from the sale of cigarettes. That money alone would pay for new classrooms for over 2,000 children in Kent."