CUTS to public health funding in Surrey could lead to a dramatic rise in unnecessary hospital visits, Liberal Democrats on the county council have warned.

According to Hazel Watson, leader of Surrey County Council’s Lib Dems opposition, figures released by the Department of Health show the Conservative government is planning a £2.2 million cut to the public health budget across Surrey.

The public health budget pays to relieve pressure on local NHS hospitals and clinics by helping people to solve their own potential health problems before they become more serious. This includes work to help people to exercise more, give up smoking and tackle drug addiction.

Mrs Watson said: “These planned cuts of £2.2m to Surrey’s public health budget will mean that when local residents try to make positive changes for their health and seek out help it is less likely to be there for them.

“Liberal Democrats say these are the wrong cuts, made in the wrong way. The public health budget is an important support system for our NHS, helping people to tackle their own health problems before they become more serious and require hospital treatment.

“The truth is that the Conservatives’ planned cuts are a false economy which will only end up costing the Government and the NHS more than is saved.”

Surrey County Council declined to confirm whether or not services will be cut as a result of the squeeze on its public health budget, but again blamed central government for putting undue pressure on its services.

A council spokesman said: "All our services have been asked to identify ways in which they could make savings, during a time when there’s an unprecedented demand for our services as we look to fill 13,000 school places in the next five years with more than a £30 million funding gap, and while our budgets are also under huge strain from the growing number of older people needing care.

“This is while Surrey taxpayers pay £6 billion a year to the national Exchequer, the highest of any region outside the City of London, yet only get back less than £1 billion from the government for services.”