UK. Tackling health inequality

Citation

(2003), "UK. Tackling health inequality", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 16 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2003.06216gab.005

UK. Tackling health inequality

UK

Tackling health inequalityKeywords: Health inequalities, Local authorities, Social services, Disadvantage, Programme for Action, Inequalities unit

In July, Health Secretary John Reid published "Health inequalities – a programme for action", a comprehensive action plan to tackle widespread inequalities in health across the UK.

The plan sets out detailed ways in which the government's strategy to cut inequalities in health can be put into practice, and provides a detailed toolkit for local organisations, not just the NHS but local authorities, social services, education, planning and employment, to change the way they deliver services to improve the health of disadvantaged groups.

Mr Reid said:

"For too long we have been prepared to tolerate glaring differences in health between different parts of our country and different groups within it.

"Why should we accept that a man born in Manchester can expect to live, on average, ten years fewer than one born in Dorset and that a woman born in Manchester is likely to live seven years fewer than a woman born in West Somerset?

"And why should we accept that manual workers and some ethnic minorities appear condemned tosuffer worse health just through an accident of birth?

"These differences are not onlyunfair – they are avoidable."

The Programme for Action provides the basis for meeting the 2010 national health inequalities target on life expectancy (by geographical area) and infant mortality (by social class) by building on current work, and addressing the wider causes of inequalities in the years beyond. It is organised around four themes:

1. 1.

   Supporting families, mothers and children – to ensure the best possible start in life and break the inter-generational cycle of health.

2. 2.

   Engaging communities andindividuals – to ensure relevance, responsiveness and sustainability.

3. 3.

   Preventing illness and providing effective treatment and care –making certain that the NHS provides leadership and makes the contribution to reducing inequalities that is expected of it.

4. 4.

   Addressing the underlying determinants of health – dealing with the long-term underlying causes of health inequalities.

The Department of Health's Health Inequalities Unit will be responsible for monitoring the work acrossgovernment to tackle health inequalities.

Further information: The fullreport, "Tackling health inequalities – a programme for action" is available in pdf format from the Department of Health Web site at www.doh.gov.uk/healthinequalities/programmeforaction/programmeforaction.pdf An executive summary is available at www.doh.gov.uk/healthinequalities/programmeforaction/execsum.htm