Aston University: Aston University’s Centre for Health and Society urges Health Secretary to re-commit to tackling health inequality

The Centre for Health and Society at Aston University has joined over 200 other member organisations of the Inequalities Health Alliance (IHA) to urge the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to re-commit to the Health Disparities White Paper in order to reduce the avoidable differences in health across the population.

The IHA’s member organisations represent patients, communities, doctors, nurses, psychologists, public health and social care professionals, dentists, pharmacists, academics, local authorities and others.

The Alliance has called for the Health Disparities White Paper to be delivered with a clear commitment to cross-government action, including a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities in the UK which so often start in childhood and, in the long-term, provide savings to the NHS and the wider economy by reducing avoidable illness.

Dr Alexis Paton, director of the Centre for Health and Society and lecturer in social epidemiology and the sociology of health at Aston University, said:

“A lot of poor health is preventable. Focusing on individual behaviours and access to services alone is not enough to close the almost 20-year gap in healthy life expectancy that exists in England between those from the least and most deprived communities.

“To prevent ill health in the first place, real, targeted action needs to be taken by the government to better funded health and social care, and tackle issues such as poor housing, lack of educational opportunity, child poverty, racism and discrimination, the commercial determinants of health (such as the availability of tobacco and marketing of alcohol), and air pollution.”