Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement a national strategy to support local decision-makers in adopting measures to reduce health inequalities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. To tackle the gap in healthy life expectancy, health inequalities will be a golden thread running through work across the Department and across the Government, with addressing health inequalities embedded in all policies.
The Government is driving its health inequalities strategy through its missions, and in particular, the Health Mission. Our Health Mission, in England, as set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, is focusing on addressing the social determinants of health, in a strategic way, with the goal of halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.
This includes a long-term vision to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, to ensure that the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. By tackling the underlying drivers of ill-health, the Government will take a united, mission-led approach to addressing inequalities.
We will distribute NHS funding more equally locally, so that it is better aligned with local health needs. We recognise the additional complexity of delivering care in communities with high levels of ill health and understand the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country.
We will also establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, beginning with places where healthy life expectancy is lowest. Neighbourhood health centres will co-locate NHS, local authority, and voluntary sector services, to help create an offer that meets population needs holistically.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. To tackle the gap in healthy life expectancy, health inequalities will be a golden thread running through work across the Department and across the Government, with addressing health inequalities embedded in all policies.
The Government is driving its health inequalities strategy through its missions, and in particular, the Health Mission. Our Health Mission, in England, as set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, is focusing on addressing the social determinants of health, in a strategic way, with the goal of halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.
This includes a long-term vision to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, to ensure that the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. By tackling the underlying drivers of ill-health, the Government will take a united, mission-led approach to addressing inequalities.
We will distribute NHS funding more equally locally, so that it is better aligned with local health needs. We recognise the additional complexity of delivering care in communities with high levels of ill health and understand the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country.
We will also establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, beginning with places where healthy life expectancy is lowest. Neighbourhood health centres will co-locate NHS, local authority, and voluntary sector services, to help create an offer that meets population needs holistically.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans for the expansion of Marmot Places throughout the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to addressing the United Kingdom’s stark health inequalities by tackling the social determinants of health, which includes halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England.
We therefore welcome the ongoing initiative shown by local areas towards this end, including by those seeking designation as Marmot Places, with support from the Institute of Health Equity. However, this is a matter for local decision making and collaboration between the relevant partner agencies.
Arrangements in relation to support for Marmot Places in the rest of the UK are a matter for the respective devolved administrations.