THURROCK Council's Director of public health has slammed the Conservative government as 'shambolic' and criticised their lack of forward financial planning.

Ian Wake took to social media to decry the problems his department has because they have had no or very little direction on what money they will be getting.

His post on 'Linked In' two weeks ago has been 'liked' by 45 people.

He said: "Six weeks to go until the new financial year and still no word from central government on:

- the size of local authority Public Health Grant's for 2020/21.

- expectation on what must be funded from them (e.g PrEP).

- whether Agenda for Change pay uplift for NHS providers will be funded centrally (as in previous years).

"This is shambolic way to run a public health system.

"Local authorities have done an amazing job at coping with year on year reductions funding but leaving things this late makes any kind of strategic financial planning by DsPH impossible and prevents us from giving existing providers the certainty they are (not unreasonably) demanding re 2020/21 contract values."