UK’S health inequalities to be examined

A REPORT has put the number of people leaving work due to ill health and long Covid in the pandemic at 400,000.

Now leading regional figures have joined a new commission investigating how health and our economy interact as they seek to push the Government to respond to “burning health inequalities”.

Led by the former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies and surgeon Lord Ara Darzi, the crossparty commission set up by think tank IPPR will also feature Dr Jonathan Pearson-stuttard from the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, Newcastle University’s Prof Clare Bambra and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

The think tank’s report also highlights how people living in economically deprived areas – often in the North – can expect on average to be in ill health by their late 50s. That’s about five years earlier than the average, and 12 years before some of the healthiest areas of the UK, like Wokingham in Berkshire. There healthy life expectancy is over 70.

In our region, the figures show how healthy life expectancy is far lower than in the best-off areas of the country.

The IPPR’S research team argue that if you were able to level up health in each area to equal outcomes in the top 10% of places, the economy would get a huge boost. They say the value of the economy in each authority area could be boosted by between 1.5 and 3.2% – with Sunderland the place which would benefit the most.

Around the UK, the research suggests that Levelling Up could lead to 430,000 fewer children in poverty and 420,000 more adults in work.

Dr Pearson-stuttard said: ”The pandemic has illustrated the inextricable link between health, our economic prosperity and inequalities. The pandemic must serve as a catalyst for us to reposition health as an opportunity to level up society and embed sustainable prosperity for future generations.

“I’m delighted to be vice-chair of this cross-party commission to help determine a blueprint that will not just help the NHS, but also improve people’s lives and reduce inequality.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Our Health Disparities White Paper later this year will set out bold action to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places.”