The RCP has responded to Health Foundation analysis, based on data from the Office for National Statistics between 2022-24 and 2012-2014.
Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president, said:
‘The UK government’s manifesto commitment was clear: tackle the social determinants of health and halve the gap in healthy life expectancy in England. Yet this new analysis from the Health Foundation shows that things are getting worse, not better.
‘This is what our members see in their practice and have been warning about. Last year, 72% of UK physicians responding to our snapshot survey reported seeing more patients in the previous three months with illnesses caused or worsened by wider social determinants of health.
‘To close the gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived communities, we need a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities. Tackling the things that make people sick in the first place – like poverty, poor quality housing, our broken food system, air pollution – is essential to reverse these trends so people can live healthier lives for longer.’