Government cuts of £200 million to public health budgets are a "false economy", health experts have said.
In a letter to Chancellor George Osborne, leaders from organisations including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the NHS Confederation, the Faculty of Public Health and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said cutting public health budgets would have a negative impact on the NHS.
They said they opposed the decision to cut £200 million from this year's public health grant to local authorities, which was announced in June this year.
They said: "This cut will have a direct impact on people and communities who rely on this funding, and it will have a direct impact on the NHS which will have to pick up the pieces by treating preventable ill health.
"The Faculty of Public Health's own analysis suggests the eventual 'knock-on' cost to the NHS could well be in excess of £1bn. By any measure then, the planned move is a false economy.
"On top of this, many of the services delivered through the public health spend via local authorities fund clinical NHS care. Cutting this funding reduces NHS revenues so it is misleading to suggest that the NHS budget is being protected."
Experts behind the letter said they strongly urged Mr Osborne to reverse the cuts in the forthcoming spending review and give a clear commitment that no further cuts will be made to public health budgets in the future.
Professor John Ashton, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said of the letter: "Our members are telling us loud and clear that this is a cut to the NHS in all but name. It will increase pressure on the health service by decreasing investment in preventing ill health.
"Whether it is a quit smoking service in Manchester, a breastfeeding service in Essex or contraception and sexual health services across the country, the £200 million cuts are already having impact on people across England."
Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "There is an unprecedented consensus that we can only address the problems facing the NHS if we invest in the future of our nation's health by helping people to stay well.
"Open any report from any director of public health in any part of the country and you can see health inequalities and poor health putting pressure on NHS services and blighting people's lives.
"Investment in public health is critical for achieving a sustainable NHS and for addressing inequalities across society."
Janet Davies, chief executive of the RCN, said cutting public health budgets, which are run by local councils, was "short-sighted" and would have a "devastating impact".
She added: "Well-funded public health services keep people healthy and teach them to keep themselves healthy. The benefits, both financially and personally, far outweigh the costs."
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