How should the government tackle health inequalities?

Last year we marked the 75-year anniversary of the NHS with staff shortages, care backlogs and reduced capacity across the service. As the NHS struggles to keep up with demand for health and care services, it is becoming clear that prevention could play a key role in improving NHS capacity, reducing delays to treatment and care and helping people across the UK to live longer, healthier lives. A big part of achieving this will be tackling the health inequalities between affluent parts of the country and more deprived areas.

Spotlight asked experts across the health sector on how best Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, should tackle health inequalities. Bola Owolabi – GP and director, inequalities improvement programme, NHS England The stark reality of health inequalities in England was highlighted once more in Lord Darzi’s recent review of the NHS. These are big and complex challenges, which need more than quick fixes.

It is a founding principle of our NHS that no one should be left behind or excluded. The NHS has identified priority clinical areas for adults and children, where we need to accelerate improvement among the most deprived 20 per cent of the population plus others who experience lower than average access, experience or outcomes. There are brilliant examples of the NHS developing local innovations to promote more equitable health up and down the country; a mobile dental clinic in Suffolk managed by the local council to assess, treat and give advice to vulnera.