HALTON is to receive an extra £3.7 million on health services next year.

The 2.14% increase from NHS England means that Halton Clinical Commissioning Group which is responsible for planning and buying health services 126,400 residents in Runcorn and Widnes will receive £178 million for 2014/15.

This works out at equat around £1,400 per person.

Simon Banks, chief officer of NHS Halton CCG, said: “The allocation from NHS England was more favourable than we expected, with a small increase in our core funding for the next two years.

“Whilst this extra funding is very welcome, particularly as our partners in Halton Council are facing funding reductions, it does not mean that we will have an abundance of resources.

“To address the increasing demands and expectations on the NHS, we need to make every penny count. We will still need to invest in wellbeing and prevention, reduce the demands on our local hospitals, deliver more services locally and maintain quality of service throughout.

“We will soon be putting forward some radical suggestions for how to do this when we consult on our plans for the next five years with the public in the New Year.”

The funding allocation for Halton has been calculated to match the needs of the local community using detailed health data including a deprivation measure specifically aimed at tackling health inequalities.

Most of the money will be used to pay for health and social care services including hospital care, rehabilitation care, urgent and emergency care, most community health services, mental health services, learning disability services as well as all GP medication prescriptions.

In 2015/16, the CCG will receive a further 1.7% funding increase giving a total of just over £181 million together with additional funding of £2.9 million to use towards its contribution to the Better Care Fund which will enable greater integrated working with Halton Council and transformation of local health services.