essay on health inequalities in the uk

Health inequalities are defined as avoidable differences in health outcomes between groups or populations – such as differences in how long we live, or the age at which we get preventable...

In England, health inequalities are often analysed and addressed by policy across four types of factors: socio-economic factors, for example, income. geography, for example, region or whether urban or rural. specific characteristics including those protected in law, such as sex, ethnicity or disability.

Health inequalities are avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people. Here we examine the key data on this complex and wide-ranging issue.

This long read examines ethnic differences in health outcomes, highlighting the variation across ethnic groups and health conditions, and considers what’s needed to reduce health inequalities.

Ten years after the landmark review on health inequalities in England, coauthor Michael Marmot says the situation has become worse Britain has lost a decade. And it shows. Health, as measured by life expectancy, has stopped improving, and health inequalities are growing wider.

Relative to other high-income countries, the UK is lagging on many health outcomes, such as life expectancy and infant mortality, and there is a growing burden of mental illness. Successes exist, such as the striking improvements in oral health, but inequalities in health persist as well.

Reducing health inequalities in the UK has been a policy priority for over 20 years, yet, despite efforts to create a more equal society, progress has been limited. Furthermore, some inequalities have widened and become more apparent, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across England, inequalities in health are worsening. They have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and are particularly acute for some ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and some regions.

Summary. In November 2021, the British Academy, in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, convened a roundtable on geographic and historic patterns of health inequalities in the UK.

Quantifying health inequalities is vital to better focus policies designed to address them. This analysis uses a novel approach to explore the extent of diagnosed health inequalities across different population groups in England.