NHS urged to tackle health inequalities
pharmafile | June 24, 2008 | News story | |Â Â Â
The government has published a set of detailed health profiles highlighting local health 'hotspots' in a bid to address the stark regional health inequalities in England.
The profiles provide a picture of health at local authority level through a number of key health indicators, such as income deprivation, healthy eating and life expectancy, and are intended to show the NHS and local authorities where resources would best be targeted.
Containing local-level statistics about diabetes, mental health problems, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, the information will also be of key interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
Health profiles, now in their third year of publication, continue to show persistent health inequalities between rich and poor, and north and south across the country.
In affluent Kensington and Chelsea, men can expect to live to 83 and women to 87 – almost a decade longer than men and women in Manchester and Liverpool.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Inequalities around the country are stark, but the NHS and Local Authorities can use these profiles to target local health hotspots with effective measures to make a real difference.
"I am confident that we can confront the issues facing communities head on and make health inequalities everyone's business."
The Government recently set out steps to tackling inequalities, outlining a series of "clear and achievable" measures for the NHS and Local Authorities to implement in its Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps report.
The report is backed up by a national web-based modeling program for local authorities to see the effects on life expectancy of implementing four key health interventions. These include treating undiagnosed high blood pressure and prescribing statins to reduce cholesterol.
Related Links:
Health profiles are available online at www.healthprofiles.info
