As part of my continued obsession with tackling inequalities and poverty this is another timely report about the role of ‘Place’ in that vicious circle.
We need healthy life expectancy - not just added years to a number. For too many life is poor and miserable. In the UK we lag behind so many other countries in health, equality and happiness/wellbeing. These things are not an accident, but are avoidbale with a new politics and policy agenda.
Health inequalities are entrenched in this country and life expectancy has been getting worse in the poorest areas. This was brutally exposed during the covid pandemic when people under 65 in the poorest parts of the country were four times more likely to die. Now, as we face the cost of living crisis and the NHS faces increased pressures, we risk things becoming worse still. This report focuses on healthy life expectancy (HLE) - the age which people can expect to reach in good health. This research was designed to support the stated ambition of the government:
“By 2030, the gap in healthy life expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by 5 years.
Poverty and Inequality are not an accident.
We live in one of the unhappiest and unequal countries in Europe. The two things are inked!