Jennie Leggat

The government must therefore take urgent action to support everyone to live in good health for longer by investing in these building blocks of health. www.health.org.uk/resources-an...
@healthfoundation.bsky.social

While we welcome the commitment in the NHS 10 Year Plan to reduce health inequalities, it won’t be enough in isolation to reduce the gap. This is because much of our health is driven by factors outside of the health service – things like our jobs, our homes, our education and our environment.

In Wales, the picture is even more stark, with the gap in healthy life expectancy sitting at 19.7 years for males and 24.5 years for females.

The gap in healthy life expectancy has also widened. In 2020-2022, a girl born in the most deprived areas of England could expect to live 20.2 fewer years in good health than a girl born in the least deprived areas; up from 19.3 years in 2017-19.

In 2020-2022, the gap in life expectancy at birth between the most and least deprived areas in England was 10.7 years for males and 8.5 years for females – significantly worse than in 2011-2013, when these figures were 9.1 and 6.9 years, respectively.

Today’s data from the ONS paints a stark picture — health inequalities in England and Wales have not only persisted but have in fact deepened by some measures over the past decade, driven in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic. www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

To reduce these health inequalities, the government should take a cross-government approach to health, investing in the building blocks of good health for everyone.

Map of healthy life expectancy at birth There is an average gap in healthy life expectancy of 22 years between local authorities.

This inequality in access to the building blocks of health is a key driver of health inequalities in Great Britain, where a baby born today in the most deprived area is expected to live 19 fewer years in good health than a baby born in the least deprived area. www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub...

Evidence hub: What drives health inequalities? Data and insight highlighting how the circumstances in which we live shape our health.

But many people don’t have access to these building blocks. People living in poverty are more likely to live in poor-quality homes, the lowest earners are most likely to be in insecure work, and people living in deprived areas are often exposed to high air pollution. www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub

What builds good health? This guide explores how the building blocks of health shape our lives.

These factors – housing, air quality, and transport – are some of the building blocks of health, which also includes things like our access to education, good jobs, public services, healthy food, social support, and safe green spaces. www.health.org.uk/resources-an...

Doctors urge government to fight poverty after rise in patients with Victorian diseases Survey finds vast majority of doctors are concerned at impact of health inequalities on their patients

A recent RCP survey showed that 89% of doctors are concerned about the impact of health inequalities on their patients, while 72% have seen more patients in the past 3 months with illnesses related to poor-quality housing, air pollution and access to transport. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

To protect people's health and reduce inequalities, government must continue to support actions to reduce air pollution, with efforts particularly focused on those areas with the poorest air quality. 5/5

Inequalities in likelihood of living in polluted neighbourhoods There are inequalities in the likelihood of living in more polluted areas.

But these health impacts aren’t distributed evenly across society. Minority ethnic groups and people living in deprived areas are much more likely to live in areas with the highest levels of air pollution, exacerbating pre-existing health inequalities. 4/5 www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub...

However, air pollution remains high in the UK; 97% of UK homes are surrounded by air that exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for air quality, and air pollution is estimated to cause up to 43,000 deaths each year in the UK alone. 3/5 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62ab19...

This is positive news for health, as air pollution contributes to the prevalence of a range of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, asthma, and cancer, with PM2.5 driving the most significant health problems. 2/5 www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in...

Emissions of air pollutants An annual publication covering the emissions of some important air pollutants.

Today’s data shows that emissions of many air pollutants reduced across the UK between 2022 & 2023, continuing a trend of reduction since 1970. This includes a reduction in PM2.5 – the pollutant of greatest concern to health – by 76% since 1990, and by 6% since 2022. 1/5 www.gov.uk/government/s...

What builds good health? This guide explores how the building blocks of health shape our lives.

The government must ensure that those on low incomes are supported so that they can afford and access the things that make us healthy – things like healthy food, high-quality homes, and good jobs – to protect the nation’s health and reduce health inequalities. 4/4 www.health.org.uk/publications...

Relationship between income and health People on lower incomes are more likely to report bad or very bad health.

Without action, this will put the health of those on low incomes at risk as they may be less able to afford essentials like healthy food and heating their homes, whilst financial concerns may negatively impact their mental health. 3/4 www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub...

Pressure on pay, prices and properties • Resolution Foundation Two years into the cost of living crisis, inflation has finally turned a corner. The headline rate of CPI inflation has fallen from its October 2022 peak of 11.1 per cent to 4.6 per cent in October 20...

People on low incomes are already facing financial strain due to the cost-of-living crisis – for example, more than a fifth of people faced moderate or severe food insecurity in Oct 2023. This will only be exacerbated by yet another increase in bills. 2/4 www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

What builds good health? Building a healthy society is like constructing a sturdy building. This infographic explores the building blocks we need in place for good health.

Ofwat has today announced an increase to water bills from April, with the average water bill rising by £86. This will have consequences for the health of low-income households unless they are supported to afford the building blocks of health. 1/4 www.health.org.uk/news-and-com...

What builds good health? This guide explores how the building blocks of health shape our lives.

The government must ensure that those on low incomes are supported so that they can afford and access the things that make us healthy – things like healthy food, high-quality homes, and good jobs – to protect the nation’s health and reduce health inequalities. 4/4 www.health.org.uk/publications...

Relationship between income and health People on lower incomes are more likely to report bad or very bad health.

Without action, this will put the health of those on low incomes at risk as they may be less able to afford essentials like healthy food and heating their homes, whilst financial concerns may negatively impact their mental health. 3/4 www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub...

Pressure on pay, prices and properties • Resolution Foundation Two years into the cost of living crisis, inflation has finally turned a corner. The headline rate of CPI inflation has fallen from its October 2022 peak of 11.1 per cent to 4.6 per cent in October 20...

People on low incomes are already facing financial strain due to the cost-of-living crisis – for example, more than a fifth of people faced moderate or severe food insecurity in Oct 2023. This will only be exacerbated by yet another increase in bills. 2/4 www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

What builds good health? This guide explores how the building blocks of health shape our lives.

Local government has the levers to improve health through action on the building blocks of health; if the government is serious about moving to prevention, it must provide local authorities with funding that is sufficient, sustainable, and proportionate to need. 9/9 www.health.org.uk/resources-an...

We also welcome the government’s commitment to much-needed funding reforms, including simplifying the funding system, better aligning funding with need, and providing multi-year settlements; these changes are vital to allow local authorities to focus on their communities. 8/9

Funding for local public services Many local areas are not receiving funding allocations that reflect local need.

However, we welcome the government’s commitment to increase funding for areas with the greatest need with the new Recovery Grant, particularly given that the most deprived local authorities have experienced the largest reduction in spending power since 2010/11. 7/9 www.health.org.uk/features-and...

Despite the importance of the public health grant for prevention – a key focus for the government's health mission – allocations won’t be announced until January. In future, allocations must be announced sooner to allow local authorities to plan ahead for these vital preventative services. 6/9

Investing in the public health grant The public health grant has been cut by 28% on a real-terms per person basis since 2015/16.

The public health grant is a vital part of local govt funding, providing funding for essential preventative services. However, it was cut by 28% between 15/16 and 24/25, resulting in service losses – especially in deprived areas which saw greater funding cuts. 5/9 www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...

Where has the Budget left adult social care? Lucinda Allen and Hiba Sameen examine the impact of the Budget on adult social care – the good, the bad and the ugly.

We previously estimated that over £1bn extra could be needed next year to meet demand for adult social care, so an £880mn boost is welcome. However, this settlement does not recognise the ~£2bn increase in costs due to changes to employer NICs and the NLW. 4/9 www.health.org.uk/features-and...

The uplift also relies in part on councils raising council tax, which will increase the financial burden on households already struggling to afford the basics – like food and heating – due to the cost-of-living crisis; this may have negative consequences for both mental and physical health. 3/9