PEOPLE in Worcestershire are to be given a say on how mental health, physical activity and alcohol-related issues are handled in the county in the face of falling budgets.

The latest draft of Worcestershire’s next Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, to run from 2016 until 2019, sets out how the county council and other organisations work together to deal with issues affecting people in the county and is due to go to public consultation in the coming weeks.

The document sets out three main priorities for the next four years – mental health, physical activities and alcohol – and was discussed at a meeting of Worcestershire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday, September 30.

The county council’s director of adult services and health Richard Harling said in an ideal world the council would be able to focus on every issue affecting people in the county, but this was not realistic.

“The unfortunate reality we are facing is that the amount of funding in the public sector is falling,” he said.

“What we need to decide is, of that money remaining, what do we spend it on and what are our priorities?”

Chairman of patient’s watchdog Healthwatch Worcestershire Peter Pinfield said it was important the document went out to public consultation as soon as possible so people in the county had the chance to have their say.

“I’ve got faith in the people of Worcestershire that if this is rubbish they will tell us so,” he said. “But I don’t think it is rubbish.”

To view the draft document visit worcestershre.gov.uk.