In response to an Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) study showing that rural and suburban parts of England get less public health funding than they are estimated to need, Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

"Years of funding cuts for public health and preventative services have severely impacted local councils' ability to invest in improving the health and wellbeing of their communities and have meant also that already stretched NHS services face more strain.

"There should be no 'winners and losers' and more should be done to ensure that funding is more closely allocated depending on the needs of local communities. In every case, prevention is better than cure.

"Joined-up government action must also start with tackling the root causes of why some people – such as those living in deprived areas and in poor housing, ethnic minorities and people with learning disabilities – are more likely to have worse physical and mental health outcomes.

"NHS trusts work hard to prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities – backed by NHS Providers' programme to help making tackling the issue part of their 'core business' – but we need more support and investment in prevention to help people to lead healthier lives."