The Government's failure to include a public health grant increase in the Spending Review was branded ‘utterly incomprehensible' by the UK's most senior public health chief.

Hitting out at the decision, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy added: ‘If we are serious about learning the lessons of how existing health inequalities have driven and exacerbated the impact of COVID-19, we must address the socio-economic determinants of health and invest in local public health teams.'