'Health inequalities continue between North and South - we must tackle it'

08 June 2023 , 17:06

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There's an urgent need to address regional health inequalities (Image: Getty Images)

The North/South divide ­deepens, and it doesn’t surprise me that a new report, involving University of Manchester researchers, has found a continuing pattern of lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and worse health and wellbeing in the North of England compared with the South.

It worries me. When are we going to tackle it?

Health Equity North: 2023 provides a brutal snapshot of the health issues facing the North, and adds to a ­growing body of heart-breaking ­evidence emphasising the urgent need to address regional health inequalities.

There’s a glimmer of hope, though. Published on April 19, 2023, a report marked the launch of Health Equity North, a new virtual institute focused on local solutions to worsening public health problems and health inequalities.

So what’s going to happen? HEN’s aim is to bring together leading academics with a unique understanding of their regional communities enabling the creation of local solutions. And HEN academics are putting their shoulders to the wheel.

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Dr Luke Munford, from Manchester University, and co-author of the report, says: “Health Equity North’s first health status report adds further weight to the growing list of evidence laying bare the ingrained health divide across the country… things look set to continue on a downward spiral. However, a joined-up approach to tackle these inequalities at local and national level would help to rebalance regional health inequity.”

Professor Clare Bambra of Newcastle University, co-author, said: “Our first report clearly shows that health inequalities in the North aren’t going away. They are getting worse and they will continue to do so without urgent action to ensure people living in the North have the same life chances as those in the rest of England.”

Professor Kate Pickett at York University, co-author, added: “The North’s health burden has a direct impact on economic health. Good health is important for productivity, and it’s time for targeted measures to be put in place to address the social determinants of health. Only then will health and prosperity in the North have the opportunity to thrive.”

And Professor David Taylor-Robinson of Liverpool University, co-author, said: “It is not acceptable that children born in the North face the prospect of shorter lives. Everyone deserves to have the same chances, but we know many families in the North face a daily struggle to meet basic needs.

“While our report is a sobering read, it also provides some clear recommendations on a range of short- and long-term measures that could help improve health outcomes for people across the North.” Let’s hope so.

Miriam Stoppard