Health inequalities

Abstract

There are marked differences in life expectancy between regions of England, between countries in the UK, and between the UK and other wealthy countries. In England, there are large differences in mortality rates between less and more educated adults, and between less and more deprived places. Austerity measures enacted after the financial crisis of 2008 not only harmed many people directly and unequally, through reductions in public services, but may also have played a role in the anaemic reduction in mortality rates observed for adults after 2010. Prescriptions on policy to improve the health of those left behind will need to wait for more and better data. It is not possible to understand the upstream mechanisms responsible for health outcomes using geographic indices of multiple deprivation. The most promising approach to improving population health is to continue to focus on the health and well-being of children.