The RCP has responded to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on healthy life expectancy.
Commenting on the data, Dr Sarah Clarke, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), said:
“It is extremely concerning to see the average healthy life expectancy (HLE) of people in England is decreasing. While some of this is down to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact that people in some parts of the country have six more years of healthy life than others highlights the urgent need to address health inequalities. To narrow this gap we need to tackle the factors that make people ill in the first place – from poor housing, air quality, and the marketing of food and alcohol, to employment (including how much money you have), racism and discrimination, and transport.
“And with so many factors to address, we need coordinated and collective efforts from all parts of government to tackle this issue. The RCP has long been calling for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities, alongside over 250 organisations part of the Inequalities in Health Alliance. The government’s upcoming Major Conditions Strategy – which the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said this week would be published over the next few months – is a vital opportunity to commit to bold cross-government action. Without concerted action from across government, ill health in the population is likely to grow.”