1. How can the North lead the way on health equity?
Professor Margaret Whitehead
University of Liverpool

2. Professor Margaret Whitehead (Chair), W. H
Professor Margaret Whitehead (Chair), W.H. Duncan Chair of Public Health, Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool
Professor Clare Bambra, Professor of Public Health Geography, Department of Geography, Durham University
Ben Barr, Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool
Jessica Bowles, Head of Policy, Manchester City Council
Richard Caulfield, Chief Executive, Voluntary Sector North West
Professor Tim Doran, Professor of Health Policy, Department of Health Sciences, University of York
Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health, Blackburn with Darwen Council
Anna Lynch, Director of Public Health, Durham County Council
Neil McInroy, Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategies
Steven Pleasant, Chief Executive, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
Julia Weldon, Director of Public Health, Hull City Council

3. Life Expectancy: the North-South Health Divide
Source: HSCIC, 2014

4. Kensington and Chelsea, London

5. Kensington and Fairfield, Liverpool
Certain diseases – CVD, alcoholic liver disease, incidence increased at outset
Risk of having disease is graded at the outset
Risk of having most chronic diseases is determined by social class, but this is not the case with cystic fibrosis
Most diseases the incidence varies with social class
This represnets a profound differenc ein Life changes
Many argue that these differnces are unfair, and furthermore there is nothing natural about them
Consequence of how we organise society
Wheter or not you get the disease does not depeind on SES

7. 20 minutes on Merseyrail 10 fewer years of life expectancy
Source: Barr for Due North, 2014

8. Building Blocks for Good Health
The Health Divide in Darlington
Building Blocks for Good Health
Life expectancy (years)
Pierremont
Northgate 75 83 72 78
MEN:
Highest 82
Lingfield
Central 70 75 69 79
WOMEN:
Highest 87
Town centre
College
Bank
Top 77 81
Life expectancy
better than Darlington average
Life expectancy
worse than Darlington average 69 78
Park
West
Lascelles
Park
East 82 87 76 79
Station 73 75
East meets west – the scale of inequality in life expectancy in Darlington
Source: Davidson, M. DPH Annual Report 2013

9. Causes
Differences in poverty, power and resources needed for health
Differences in exposure to health-damaging factors
Differences in opportunities to enjoy positive health factors and protective conditions that help maintain health, especially conditions that give children the best possible start in life

10. Why now? Threats and opportunities
Austerity measures and poverty-generating welfare reforms hit disadvantaged areas and the North the hardest
Demands for greater devolution to do things more effectively and equitably
Transfer of public health to local authorities

11. DUE NORTH: LA cuts increase with increasing deprivation of area (IMD score)
Source: Taylor-Robinson et al, 2012

12. Trend in child poverty and inequalities in infant mortality
Source: Taylor-Robinson et al for Due North, 2014

13. Taylor-Robinson et al BMJ 2013;347:f7157

14. Two types of recommendations
1. What can agencies in the North do to help reduce health inequalities within the north and between the north and the rest of England?
2. What does central government need to do to reduce these inequalities?
Lessons for the whole country, not just the North

15. DUE NORTH: actions to tackle root causes

16. Rec 1: Tackle poverty and economic inequality
Northern agencies, working together:
- Linking economic growth with public service reform to prevent poverty and promote prosperity
- Promoting living wage
- Joint spending power to promote good employment
- Improving quality and affordability of housing

18. Rec 1: Tackle poverty and economic inequality
Central government:
Ensure national policies reduce debt and poverty:
– Ensure welfare systems provide minimum income for health living (MIHL)
- End in-work poverty through Living Wage
-Develop a national industrial strategy that reduces inequalities between the regions
- Develop policy to enable Las to tackle poor condition of housing stock at bottom end of private rental market

19. Rec 2: Promote healthy development in early childhood
Northern agencies:
Monitor and Increase proportion of overall expenditure allocated to giving every child a good start
Ensure access to good quality universal early years education and childcare
Maintain and protect universal integrated neighbourhood support for early child development, including Children’s Centres

21. Rec 2: Promote healthy development in early childhood
Central government:
Reduce child poverty through investment in: paid parental leave; flexible work schedules; Living Wages; promising educational futures for young women; affordable high quality childcare
Reverse recent falls in living standards of less advantaged families
Cumulative impact assessment of future welfare changes to mitigate negative impacts
Increase proportion of overall expenditure allocated to early years
Make provision for universal, good quality early years edication across the country

22. Rec 3: Share power over resources and increase influence of public over decisions
Northern agencies:
Deep collaboration across Northern agencies for a new approach to economic development and health inequalities
Use greater devolved powers and resources to develop, at scale, locally integrated programmes to support people into employment
Reduce the democratic divide: develop community-led systems for health equity monitoring, accountability, involvement in how local budgets are used

25. Rec 3: Share power over resources and increase influence of public over decisions
Central government:
Grant local government greater role in deciding how public resources are used to improve health of communities and greater flexibility to raise funds for investment on social determinants of health
Allocate a greater share of resources to the places that need it most and to improve the lufe chances of the poorest fastest
Invite LG to co-design and co-invest in national programmes, to tailor them more effectively to local populations

26. CCGs and other NHS agencies:
Rec 4: Strengthen the role of the health sector in promoting health equity
CCGs and other NHS agencies:
Ensure procurement and commissioning maximises opportunities for high quality local employment and high quality care
Work more effectively with Directors of Public Health and Public Health England to address risk conditions that drive health and social care system demand
Support Health and Wellbeing Boards to integrate budgets and jointly direct health and wellbeing spending plans for NHS and Las
Provide leadership to support health services and clinical teams to reduce children’s exposure to poverty and its consequences, and to reduce poverty among people with chronic illness