CIEH calls for clarity on multi-year funding for Environmental Health services following Budget announcement

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has called for clarity following today’s Budget announcement on how multi-year funding commitments for local authority services will apply to environmental health.

Comments made in Prime Minister’s Questions ahead of today’s Budget confirmed a move towards stable multi-year funding for public service delivery in Spring 2025 while today’s Budget included an additional £1.3 billion in grant funding for local authority services. However, CIEH are seeking clarity on how environmental health teams will specifically benefit from this increased support.

Local authority environmental health teams are at the forefront of public health, working to maintain housing safety, enforce food standards, and improve air quality. However, these teams have long faced challenges due to funding constraints, often relying on agency staff to meet growing demands. Multi-year funding would enable local authorities to recruit, retain, and develop skilled Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) to provide these essential services and reduce preventable pressures on the NHS.

CIEH is calling on the Government to prioritise multi-year funding for these services and looks forward to further engagement on how this commitment can be implemented in the coming months.

Mark Elliott, President at CIEH, said:

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition of the need for stable, multi-year funding for local services, as well as increased grant funding for local authorities to deliver essential services, which represents a transformative opportunity to support the Government’s goal of alleviating pressures on the NHS.

“Environmental health professionals play a vital preventive role, from safeguarding housing conditions to ensuring food and air quality. However, years of underfunding have left local authority EH teams stretched, often relying on costly agency staff to fill critical roles. Stable and sustained funding would empower these essential services to reduce preventable illnesses, ease the burden on the NHS, and foster healthier communities.

An investment in environmental health is an investment in the nation’s wellbeing, and CIEH stands ready to work with the Government to help realise this vision."