Region held back by health inequality

DOCTORS AND all health and care workers across Yorkshire will be pleased that The Yorkshire Post is putting health inequality at the top of its campaigning agenda.

Likewise, the British Medical Association is proud to add its support to the paper’s demand that the Prime Minister and his Government deliver a better deal for the people of Yorkshire, who have been short- changed for years thanks to low levels of investment.

Having worked both as a hospital doctor and for 23 years as a General Practitioner in Yorkshire, and now in my role as chair of the British Medical Association’s Yorkshire regional council, I’ve seen how this affects the health and wellbeing of people all over the county.

I’ve seen that while the doctors, nurses and other carers who keep our NHS running always work tirelessly to deliver a standard of healthcare people need and deserve, they are held back by low staffing levels, impossible working hours and facilities outdated by 10 years of under investment.

Inevitably, Covid- 19 has made the picture even bleaker, particularly for people who are already struggling.

It’s now well known that Covid- 19 disproportionately impacts poorer people and BAME communities who often work in frontline services, and can have unsatisfactory housing conditions or access to community health services.

The most recent data shows that people living in the poorest areas are twice as likely to die from Covid- 19 than those in the richest areas.

So often, it’s women who bear the brunt of poor services and tough living conditions. New analysis shows that life expectancy for females has been increasing at a slower rate in Yorkshire since 2001 than the English averages.

Areas with a consistently lower life expectancy for females include Hull, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. Poor health outcomes in any group in society, or in any part of the county, have knock- on effects for us all and we can’t afford to leave anyone behind.

Solving these problems requires solutions that go beyond health policy. Good health requires good school education so that people have better life chances and are motivated to take them. It requires a good public transport system and better roads so that people can actually access the jobs and health services they need, and can travel conveniently by rail across the North rather than just from north to south.

It requires good and affordable housing so people can live in a safe environment while still affording the good food and leisure activities that keep people fit mentally and physically. It requires investment in the new technologies that will create the jobs of the future.

Furthermore it requires clear and consistent public information so that people from all our communities understand the choices they need to make to stay healthy.

The Government’s recent handling of information on the use of face coverings, the progress of track and trace and the use and availability of PPE in healthcare settings have been masterclasses in how to do this badly.

There are signs of hope. The Government has finally granted more powers for local authorities to impose lockdown measures so that local Covid- 19 spikes are kept under control – but to be effective, this must be backed by a properly managed and resourced track and trace system that also works for people whose first language is not English.

Ministers have promised a cash injection to help NHS hospitals prepare for the inevitable winter pressures

– but this needs to be backed with more support for GP practices and our struggling social care system.

Government action proposing a new focus on preventing, rather than simply treating ill health has been promised and is to be welcomed. There has been much talk of ‘ levelling up’ with investment in road, rail and digital infrastructure to help establish the North as a magnet for investment and jobs – but we have yet to see much detail beyond slogans.

As we prepare for a possible second wave of Covid- 19, there is much to be concerned about, and I and my colleagues at the BMA will work hard to make sure the Government does not forget its duty to the people of Yorkshire. I’m optimistic that – together – we can make a difference.