2nd September 2024
Today, the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) which represents 257 members (including the Institute of Health Visiting) has sent an open letter to Andrew Gwynne MP – Public Health and Prevention Minister. The letter urges the government to take action to address growing health inequalities if it is to achieve its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in history and support people back into work.
The IHA has called for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities since 2020 – one that tackles the root causes of ill health such poor housing, employment and food quality. The alliance previously welcomed this government’s pre-election commitment to establish a mission delivery board for health and its ‘significant potential to drive’ action across all government departments.
The letter says the government must now set out its plans for this board, and that all wider causes of ill health – such as poor housing, the commercial impacts such as marketing of alcohol and the availability of tobacco, the ability to make healthy food choices, and air quality – must be covered if the government is to achieve its ambitions to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy and reduce demand on the NHS.
Commenting on the letter, Philippa Bishop – Director of Learning & Development at the Institute of Health Visiting – said:
“The Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) has today stressed to the Public Health and Prevention Minister that reducing the avoidable differences in health across the population must be a priority for this government. As Specialist Community Public Health Nurses, health visitors are witness to the impact of the wider determinants on health of families; a mission delivery board would be an excellent first step to bring together all national stakeholders to set targets and build the commitment needed to deliver change. The Institute of Health Visiting supports the letter and the opportunity to work with the government through a delivery board, recognising the government ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in history and the contribution of health visiting to the nation’s public health.”
