Reducing health inequalities

Chapters

Our JSNA chapters consider the current and future health and social care needs of specific topics.

You can download the following topic-specific chapters as accessible Word documents:

Resources

Here are some useful links for further information and data related to reducing health inequalities. These resources are from external organisations, such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government - Indices of Deprivation 2019 local authority dashboard: explore a range of summary measures across the indices of deprivation 2019 at local authority level and the lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs) within each district.
  • ONS - Income deprivation: explore income deprivation in Medway at a neighbourhood level
  • OHID - Health Inequalities Dashboard: measures of inequality are provided for key indicators to monitor progress on reducing inequalities
  • OHID - Fingertips - Wider determinants of health tool: provides intelligence about the wider determinants of health to help improve population health and reduce health inequalities
  • OHID - Segment tool: provides information on the causes of death and age groups that are driving inequalities in life expectancy at local area level.

Context

There are differences in health outcomes between males and females, older and younger people, ethnic groups, and across geographical areas. These are known as health inequalities.

Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable differences in health status between groups of people or communities. They arise because of the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These conditions influence a person’s opportunities for good health and affect how an individual thinks, feels and acts. Together these shape their health and wellbeing.

The characteristics of people or places associated with differences in health outcomes can be divided into 4 categories:

Category Examples
Protected characteristics
  • age
  • sex
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sexual orientation
  • disability.
Socio-economic groups
  • people living in deprived areas
  • unemployed
  • low income.
Vulnerable groups
  • people experiencing homelessness
  • sex workers
  • vulnerable migrants
  • Gypsy and Roma Travellers.
Geography
  • built and natural environment
  • urban or rural areas.

There is a clear social gradient in health. This means that people in disadvantaged groups often die sooner and spend more years living with disabilities. While we should aim to reduce health inequalities across all society, actions must be focused and increased in proportion to the level of disadvantage. Improving the lives of those with the worst health, fastest.

Reducing health inequalities is a matter of fairness and social justice. Everyone deserves the same opportunities to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are.