DoH launches next step in tackling health inequality

The government has launched a new web-based tool to help reduce the life expectancy gap between England's wealthiest and most deprived areas.

Currently the average man in England can expect to live until 76.9 years of age and the average woman 81.1 years. But in the 70 'Spearhead' areas singled out by the government for poor health this falls to 74.9 and 79.6 respectively.

The Health Inequalities Intervention Tool is designed to help local health services and councils identify areas affected by poor health and suggest simple steps to rectify it.

Recommendations include encouraging people to stop smoking, introducing measures to cut infant deaths and prescribing antihypertensive and statin drugs.

Dr Bobbie Jacobson, vice-chair of the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO) and director of the London Health Observatory said: "The tool is the first of its kind to provide hard-edged, local evidence to planners and commissioners, on the causes of their life expectancy gap and how it can be reduced.

VoiceOver

BFAWU video: Why join our trade union?

"The tool is easy to use and saves local agencies time and analytical effort. More importantly, we hope it will help Spearhead authorities to close the gap."

The initiative will take a proactive approach to targeting patients. Using local information, it will estimate how many patients GPs should be treating, allowing Primary Care Trusts to launch campaigns to bring people into surgeries.

Launching the service, public health minister Dawn Primarolo said the DoH had made tackling health inequalities a priority.

By 2010 it wants to achieve a ten per cent cut in the difference in life expectancy between the bottom five areas and England as a whole. Three-fifths of Spearhead areas are already on target to meet this.

Ms Primarolo said: "Our task now is to support local NHS and local authority service planners, commissioners and front-line staff to deliver on those targets and this is an excellent example of giving staff in Spearhead areas the tools to do the job and to do it well."

Political news to your inbox

Fill in your details to receive Politics.co.uk's brand of informed, in-depth and independent coverage of Westminster to your inbox

Hot topics

Britain's great energy debate

How the power gets to Britain's homes in the next century remains a matter of deep controversy

As the next general election begins to loom over the horizon, the debate over Britain's future energy policy mix is starting to hot up - and nothing seems guaranteed.

The Heathrow third runway debate

Heathrow's third runway is just one of many options

There won't be a final decision on Britain's long-term aviation strategy until after the 2015 general election - but an aggressive national debate is already underway.

Opinion Former Events

MRSA Action UK Annual Memorial Event

Families will pay tribute and remember those lost to MRSA and healthcare associated infections at Westminster Abbey on Thursday 13th June 2013

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition & Conference 2013

Following the great success of the BSIA's Information Destruction Conference and Exhibition in May 2012, we are pleased to annouce that the event is returning again in June 2013. This one-day conference and exhibition is aimed at key decision makers in organisations that carry out the secure destruction of confidential material.