MINISTERS' plans to axe £15 million from the region's public health budget will hit the "poorest hardest", critics warn with suicide prevention, school nurses and sexual health among the services facing cuts.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Northern region says the reduction to the North-East and North Yorkshire's funding to local authorities for preventative health work shows the Government has a "complete disregard" for the needs of the region.

Chancellor George Osborne announced in June that £200 million across England would be cut this year from local authority-run public health budgets, which until 2013 had been under the control of the NHS.

The North-East has historically had higher public health funding in recognition of the greater health inequalities in the region.

Critics say the Government’s proposal for a blanket 6.2 per cent reduction means the region is likely to be disproportionately disadvantaged by the cuts.

Services expected to be face cutbacks include school nursing and other child health services, suicide prevention and domestic violence prevention, drug and alcohol, sexual health, weight loss support, smoking cessation services and wider mental health provision including befriending services for older people.

County Durham has seen the biggest cut with a £3.1 million reduction in its public health budget. North Yorkshire has lost £1.3 million, Stockton almost £900,000 and Darlington £520,000.

RCN Northern region spokesman Jake Turnbull said: “By imposing these cuts on local government, Westminster is once again showing it’s complete disregard for the needs and the North and our most vulnerable citizens.

"National government keeps saying that they want to put prevention at the heart of health care but their actions tell a very different story. We are already seeing a number of cuts to local preventative health programmes. These cuts will make health inequalities worse. They are hitting the poor hardest.

“It is risible that they claim that they are protecting the NHS budget but at the same time passing on NHS services to local authorities, who are then forced to cut them, because they in turn have been hit by inequitable central government settlements. The whole point of preventative health is that it saves the NHS money by keeping people well and out of hospital. It’s a false economy.

"By moving public health from the NHS to local authorities, the Chancellor has undertaken a sleight of hand to cover up for the fact that they have reneged on their commitment to protect the health budget.”

In response, a Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The NHS budget will remain protected but difficult decisions need to be made right across Government to reduce the deficit.

“Local authorities have already set an excellent example of how more can be done for less to provide the best value for the taxpayer. A consultation will now be held with them to decide the best way of delivering the savings that need to be made.”