DoH funding crisis freezes binge-drinking drive

by David Tiltman, Marketing 20-Dec-05, 08:45

LONDON - The government has shelved plans for a multimillion-pound advertising campaign to tackle binge drinking amid fears of a financial crisis at the Department of Health.

The DoH had intended to run its most high-profile responsible-drinking activity to date in the spring (Marketing, 23 November). However, it has been postponed indefinitely after civil servants put a freeze on public-health funding. An agency pitch through the COI, planned for the new year, has also been cancelled.

The DoH is reviewing the budget for centralised projects such as public-health campaigns for the 2005/06 financial year. An internal memo leaked earlier this month revealed its staff have been banned from agreeing to new financial commitments.

However, a DoH spokeswoman claimed it was still committed to the campaign and would conduct it when spending plans have been finalised.

Government figures show the NHS is on course for a £620m deficit in this financial year.

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