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Paul Najsarek, Solace spokesperson for Health & Social Care, said: “Local government working in close partnership with our health partners has been a cornerstone of the pandemic response – neither of us can do it on our own, and each offer our unique strengths; councils leading on population health and the NHS treating illness.

“Local government’s collaboration and joint commissioning arrangements with NHS partners across the country are a powerful and effective combination and will continue to play an invaluable role as we enter the next phase of the pandemic, recovering and rebuilding resilience for all our communities.

“More broadly, local authorities have done a huge amount of innovative work in public health over the last decade and any move to shift budgets back to the NHS would be both disruptive and counterproductive.

“If we are to significantly improve people’s life chances and address the myriad inequalities exposed, and entrenched, by the pandemic then it would be far better to build on the great work from the last year and join forces to create a sustainable system, with truly sustainable funding, instead of seeking to change structures at a time when any unnecessary disruption should be kept to a minimum.”