The Government should invest more in public health to address the causes of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

The poll found 83% of the public think there should be a greater focus on tackling the causes of poor health.

There must be sufficient funding for public health workers, 85% of respondents said, as 82% also agreed that the public health workforce is ‘crucial to safeguarding the nation’s health’.

RSPH chief executive William Roberts said: ‘We know that many of these professionals, from cleaners to pest controllers, to school nurses and emergency planners, are under pressure and need support to deliver.

‘Collectively we need to do more to ensure their work is recognised, they are supported to develop as professionals, and there is adequate investment so they can continue to deliver and keep us all healthy and safe.

‘The public are strongly supportive of investment in the public health workforce and we would urge governments to invest in tackling the causes of poor health and creating a more prosperous society.’

Chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, Cllr David Fothergill, called for an uplift to councils’ public health grant and a wider review of the adequacy of public health funding.

He said: ‘We need to move away from simply treating people for a health condition to tackling the root causes of the condition in the first place.

‘Tackling social determinants includes improvements in housing, ensuring access to good education and employment, as well as creating a health-promoting environment.’