Health Inequality

WE ALL DESERVE GOOD HEALTH

Have you ever noticed that different groups of people in our society have different experiences when it comes to their health? Not sure? Well, have a look at the below facts…

l The life expectancy for women living in the most deprived (poorest) areas of England is 7.6 years less than for women living in the least deprived (richest) areas. l 41% of homeless people have long term physical health problems compared to 28% of the general population. l Women in prison are 5x more likely to have mental health concerns than the general female population. l Black women are four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy or childbirth in the UK, and women from Asian ethnic backgrounds are twice as likely. Doesn’t seem fair right? That’s because it isn’t.

Health inequalities are the unfair, avoidable and systematic health differences we see between different groups of people. These health differences include things like;

l Our health status (e.g. how long we live or how likely we are to experience a specific health condition). l Our access to healthcare (e.g. how easy it is to get the treatment we need). l The quality of the health care we receive (e.g. patient satisfaction). l Our health behaviours (e.g. how likely we are to smoke). l Wider determinants of our health (e.g. the quality of our housing). And all of these health differences are often determined by our personal life experience, for example;

l Our socio-economic background (e.g. whether or not we’re employed, and how much income we have). l Our location (e.g. where in the country we live, and whether we live in a city or the countryside). l Our identity (e.g. our age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, ability, etc.) l Our vulnerabilities (e.g. whether we’ve experienced homelessness, been affected by the criminal justice system, or someone who lives in a different country to the one they were born in). The good news is, now that we know about and understand what health inequalities are, we can focus all our energy on overcoming them and making sure that everyone, no matter what their personal life experience, has equal health experiences.

How do you think your personal life experience has affected your health?

Is there any specific care and support you think you need around your health?

Don’t be afraid to ask health professionals for help around your unique health needs. We all deserve equal opportunities to have good health.