News

The latest ONS figures on alcohol-specific deaths in the UK show there was an 18.6 per cent increase in deaths from alcohol-specific causes in 2020 compared with the previous year and was the highest year-on-year increase since records began.

“These latest figures are another warning of the dangers of regular drinking over a long period of time and the impact this can have on older people."

"As these figures show, more needs to be done to meet increasing demand and a huge amount of unmet need, with more than half a million adults estimated to have alcohol dependency, while a high proportion of those receiving treatment are living in the most deprived areas."

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research calling for a new approach to public health and prevention.

“Any decision on offering a booster jab later this year, to protect our most vulnerable from variants and flu ahead of winter, will be supported by councils and their directors of public health in our collective national effort to end the pandemic."

“We need a new national focus on helping everyone stay mentally well, including those affected by COVID-19, backed-up by funding for councils to spend with the voluntary and community sector on meeting local mental wellbeing needs."

"This increase in funeral expenses payments is something the LGA has long called for and will help eligible families meet the costs of funerals for their loved ones."

"Extra funding towards this target is helpful but more is needed if we are to truly scale up across the whole of local government."

No-one is immune to the power of the sun and we know that there is growing evidence to suggest that extreme heat has an adverse effect on our health.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to a joint report by the Health Foundation and The King’s Fund calling for public health funding cuts to be reversed.