Royal College of Physicians responds to government plans to tackle health inequalities

Dr Mumtaz Patel, president of the RCP, said: “Improved primary care in areas of health need is important to improving equity of access. No patient should face a postcode lottery for care.

“But delivering real change for the most deprived communities requires more – it demands a bold, cross-government approach to address the root causes of poor health.

“The shift from sickness to prevention is especially important for our most deprived communities. We need a much more transformative approach to deliver integrated services that are designed for and by the communities that will use them. We need prevention at the heart of policy making and NHS care, and coordinated action across all parts of government to tackle what makes us ill in the first place, from poor housing and air pollution to employment and educational opportunities.

“Government made a manifesto commitment to tackle the social determinants of health. In February this year, 72% of respondents to an RCP snapshot survey said they'd seen more patients in the previous three months with illnesses caused or worsened by those determinants. We need urgent action.

“We look forward to seeing the detail on how the 10-Year Health Plan will tackle widening inequalities in people’s health. A commitment to a dedicated cross-government strategy, as the RCP and Inequalities in Health Alliance have been calling for, will be key.”