Healthcare Provision: Inequalities

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Monday 20th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The 10-year health plan has tackling inequalities at its very heart, and that is the big driver throughout. Health inequalities are strongly associated with deprivation, and it cannot be right that healthy life expectancy at birth for a girl born in Wokingham is 70.8 years, but 52.6 years for a girl born in Barnsley. I think we get a real sense of the challenge.

However, I would not expect every local area to approach this in exactly the same way, not least because the challenges are different. That is why the whole structure of the NHS, including funding, will allow local areas to meet the needs and the challenges, which are considerable in certain areas, in the way that will deliver the best outcome.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, will the Minister look closely at the inequalities between rural and urban areas in delivering healthcare? The Minister is aware of the work I do with dispensing doctors. Is she aware that community pharmacies and dispensing doctors in rural areas are struggling, as they are not being reimbursed for the national insurance contributions increase announced at the last election? I understand that hospitals are having these reimbursed. Will the Government look at this to ensure that rural pharmacies and GP practices have a level playing field with those in urban areas?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We have discussed national insurance contributions a number of times in your Lordships’ House, and I can only repeat the previous assurance, given not just by me but by other Ministers: that in making the decision, the Chancellor took into account not just the funding available—for example, in the Department of Health and Social Care, which was notable and welcome—but the impact.

In respect of rural areas, the national approach to inform action to improve equality in healthcare does define groups, including those in rural and coastal communities, so I can assure the noble Baroness that this issue does get the attention she seeks.