Health And Wealth Divides In UK Worsening Despite ‘levelling Up Drive, Report Finds
Research has shown that people in England are becoming "iller and poorer", with regional health and wealth inequalities increasing.
Economic inactivity due to illness is at its highest level since records began, with 2.5 million working-age adults inactive due to their health, according to a report released this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research.
The government's smooth running program has been seriously undermined, the report said, with new data showing people are twice as likely to fall ill and people are more likely to stop working in the north-east of England, Wales and Northern Ireland than in London and the south-east.
Labor said the report was "devastating" and showed the Conservatives had "absolutely failed to deliver and inequality is only getting worse".
Since Rishi Sunak took over as prime minister, Boris Johnson's equality agenda appears to have slipped down the list of political priorities, although the Conservatives are once again poised to hold onto their Red Wall seats in the North and Midlands. election
The IPPR report shows that in the North East, North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, more people are economically inactive than the average working age due to poor health.
It is Northern Ireland where people can lose their jobs due to illness. 10.8% of the population in Northern Ireland is too ill to work, compared to 4.4% in the South East. The UK average is 6.1%.
Are You Better? Health and the UK Labor Market, will be published on Wednesday.
Productivity levels in these places are much lower than in London, where each person adds an average of £52,239 a year to the economy. This compares to £20,364 in the North East, where yields are lower and the UK average is £29,063. The £30,000 gap between London and the North East has widened by £8,000 since 2012.
The northeastern region had the lowest healthy life expectancy at 59 years, compared to the southeastern region which had the highest healthy life expectancy at 66 years. Healthy life expectancy is a measure of the years that people live in a state of health.
The report found that Covid-19 had exacerbated this regional disparity, with longer-term Covid cases in Wales, Scotland and all over the North and Midlands compared to the UK average.
“The evidence is mounting: a beautiful country is a healthy country, and a healthy country is a healthier and more prosperous country,” said Chris Thomas, chair of the Health and Wellbeing Committee at the International Institute for Poverty Reduction and author of the report. “And yet, as a country, we are getting poorer, as health inequalities deepen, Which undermines national well-being, especially in the North and developing countries.
“If the government really wants to improve the quality of its country, it must do more to make better health a cornerstone of the UK’s economic recovery. “Improving health is the best and clearest path to a better life, a fairer economy and greater prosperity for all of us.”
One of the government's main goals is to reduce the gap in healthy life expectancy between regions by 2030, and by 2035 this gap will increase by five years. But the new law gives the government the power to unilaterally change its mission.
Shadow Adjustment Minister Lisa Nandy said: “Three years ago, the Tories were elected on the promise of 'making the UK better', with one of their main aims being to reduce health inequalities. This devastating report shows that the Tories have failed miserably and that inequality is in fact only getting worse. .
People and places have been canceling in the UK for far too long. The next Labor government will support everyone and deliver the biggest transfer of power from Westminster, as well as support reform work for the economically inactive and investment in the NHS.”
Jordan Cummins, director of health for the CBI business group and member of the committee, called on the government to take action to prevent a collapse in economic growth due to health disparities.
He said, “Companies across the country care about the health and sustainability of their workforce, and that should be a priority for governments. The resulting loss of millions of people from the labor market imposes real human costs and limits economic growth.
Government intervention in collaboration with industry will be very important. Policymakers must prioritize prevention, reduce harm when people get sick, invest in innovative treatments, and partner with business to accelerate progress, creating healthier workplaces and creating more inclusive job opportunities.”
Claire Bambra, Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University and another member of the IPPR panel, said: “North Korea has huge economic potential. But research shows time and again that it is held back by the failure of governments to address health inequalities. Ministers must address health inequalities in the north of England and beyond if they are to want to Reforming the country, providing a better life for all and achieving a productive economy.”
A government spokesperson said: “In the autumn statement we prioritized health and social care, on top of previous record funding, with an additional £8 billion to ensure people can get quality care faster.
“We are supporting people in crisis with £1,200 to support the most vulnerable families, and this year we have given over £3.4 billion to local authorities across England to tackle problems including alcohol use, obesity and smoking.”
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