Your report about the deprivation divide in UK communities brings into sharp focus the granularity of inequalities in the country (‘Posh-poor divide’: the rise in areas of England where wealth and deprivation appear side by side, 1 December). These aren’t just socioeconomic – they have a huge impact on our health, wellbeing and how long we live.
This harsh truth is nowhere clearer than in my constituency, Leeds Central and Headingley, which has the widest life expectancy gap in England based on data from Health Equals. Residents in the Hyde Park area are expected to live a shocking 14 years less than those in neighbouring Far Headingley and Weetwood. A half-hour walk takes you from one area to the other – equating to more than a decade of life lost.
Child poverty and fuel poverty play a big role in the divide between these two parts of Leeds, but other factors will be at play too. Our health is shaped by the air we breathe, the homes we live in, the work we do, the money in our pockets – and these building blocks don’t stack up for everyone. The 10-year health plan has set clear targets for the NHS, but health isn’t just about access to services. All aspects of policy can shape health and that’s why a cross-government health inequality strategy is vital. It must prioritise prevention, set ambitious targets and make better health a shared goal for every part of government.
By taking action to make health equal, this Labour government could stop lives in constituencies like mine being needlessly cut short.
Alex Sobel
MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, and parliamentary champion of Health Equals
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