Peterborough City Council has launched a public consultation on plans to cut adult weight loss and health trainer services as it faces a £440,000 shortfall in public health funding.
Although the government has increased its public health grant to the council by around £400,000 this year, officials say the funding still falls short of what is needed to support all current services—particularly those aimed at helping residents adopt healthier lifestyles.
Shabina Qayyum, the cabinet member for public health and adult social care, said the council is prioritising essential and high-impact services. “We are considering cuts where service provision is optional, where the impact is relatively low, and where alternatives exist through the NHS,” she explained.
If approved, the changes would mean reducing council-funded adult weight management and health trainer programs. Instead, resources would shift toward prevention efforts, such as promoting healthy eating and physical activity.
Residents would still have access to NHS-run weight management services, while health checks currently offered in community venues would be scaled back, with GP practices continuing to provide them.
Key programs—including smoking cessation and children’s weight management—would remain funded. Mandatory services covering areas such as substance misuse, sexual health, and health visiting will not be affected.
Cllr Qayyum highlighted long-standing concerns about public health underfunding in Peterborough, noting that previous directors had appealed to the government to address the issue. While the recent funding uplift is welcomed, she said it does not meet the needs of the city’s growing population, especially since Peterborough now operates its own public health service after ending its shared arrangement with Cambridgeshire County Council.
The consultation will remain open until midnight on 25 June. Feedback will be reviewed before a final recommendation is presented to the council’s cabinet in July.
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