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Health Inequalities

Health inequalities have been highlighted as a priority in the NHS Long Term Plan. 

Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. They arise from social inequalities, themselves the result of unequal distribution of factors influencing health, such as housing, environment, social
background, income, employment and education.

Inequalities can be identified according to where people live, and that this is particularly true in some areas where there are high levels of deprivation and need; but there are also inequalities between genders, ethnicities, ages and abilities that we need to tackle.

Core 20PLUS5

Core20PLUS5 is a national NHS England approach to inform action to reduce healthcare inequalities at both national and system level. The approach defines a target population – the ‘Core20PLUS’ – and identifies ‘5’ focus clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement.

Core20

The most deprived 20% of the national population as identified by the national Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The IMD has seven domains with indicators accounting for a wide range of social determinants of health.

PLUS

PLUS population groups should be identified at a local level. Populations often considered are ethnic minority communities; people with a learning disability and autistic people; people with multiple long-term health conditions; other groups that share protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010; groups experiencing social exclusion, known as inclusion health groups.

Inclusion health groups include: people experiencing homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence, vulnerable migrants, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, sex workers, people in contact with the justice system, victims of modern slavery and other socially excluded groups.

5

There are five clinical areas of focus which require accelerated improvement. Governance for these five focus areas sits with national programmes; national and regional teams coordinate activity across local systems to achieve national aims.

  1. Maternity
  2. Severe Mental Illness
  3. Chronic Respiratory Disease
  4. Early Cancer Diagnosis
  5. Hypertension case-finding and optimal management and lipid optimal management

The infographic brings together key information about need and service use patterns alongside qualitative information and NICE guidelines.

The infographic brings together key information about need and service use patterns alongside qualitative information and NICE guidelines.

The health inequalities dashboard provides information to monitor progress on reducing inequalities within Gloucestershire across a range of themes

The health inequalities dashboard provides information to monitor progress on reducing inequalities within Gloucestershire across a range of themes

The deep dives provide an in-depth understanding of a topic or series of topics related to health inequalities.

The deep dives provide an in-depth understanding of a topic or series of topics related to health inequalities.