Working age adults in England’s poorest areas were almost four times more likely to die from coronavirus than those in the wealthiest areas.
The Health Foundation report details the results of a nine-month investigation into the factors that fuelled the UK’s devastating coronavirus death toll. It finds that the coronavirus mortality rate was 3.7 times higher for those younger than 65 living in the poorest 10 per cent of neighbourhoods than in the wealthiest in England.
The Health Foundation says that poorer underlying health left them at greater risk, a pattern which reflects pre-pandemic mortality trends. People in their 50s and 60s living in the poorest areas are twice as likely to have at least two pre-existing long-term health conditions such as lung disease or diabetes.
The inquiry concludes that the recovery needs to prioritise creating opportunities for good health – a vital asset needed to level up and rebuild the UK economy.
Approximately eight in ten adults surveyed agree it is important the government addresses differences in health outcomes between those living in richer and poorer areas during the recovery – the same number agreed they were worried about the impact of the pandemic on the UK economy.
The charity is calling for immediate action to prevent further erosion of health from the pandemic and ensure a recovery that improves health, avoiding mistakes of the past. It argues the government needs to close the education gap, address the health care backlog, support those in greatest poverty and provide targeted mental health support. However, the authors highlight that longer-term repair means investment: creating good jobs and improving working conditions of the lowest paid, and boosting public services to build resilience in the health of the nation for the future.
Jo Bibby, Director of Health at the Health Foundation, said: “We may have to learn to live with Covid-19, but we don’t have to live with its unequal impact. The shortcomings of the response to the 2008 financial crisis left a legacy of deep-rooted issues – poor health, increased financial insecurity and strained public services – which left the UK more vulnerable to the pandemic’s health and economic impacts.
“We cannot afford to make the same mistake twice. Government must address the root causes of poor health and invest in jobs, housing, education and communities. This is the only way to create a healthier society that can meet the challenge ahead and better withstand future crises. Ministers across government should work together to put health at the heart of the forthcoming levelling up strategy, with clear targets and a regular, independent assessment of the nation’s health laid before Parliament.”
