Health Inequalities

Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair differences in health between different groups of people, the differences in healthcare they receive, and opportunities they have to lead healthy lives.

Health inequalities is also used to refer to differences in the care that people receive and the opportunities they have to lead healthy lives – both of which can contribute to their health status. Health inequalities can therefore involve differences in:

• Health status (e.g. life expectancy)
• Access to healthcare
• Quality and experience of care
• Behavioural risks to health (e.g. smoking)
• Wider determinants of health (e.g. housing quality)

Objectives

To raise awareness of the impact of cancer related health inequalities in our region, and collaborate with healthcare partners and the Cancer Alliance programmes to design and deliver services that reduce inequality.
To use health-related data to identify the communities and groups most at risk of a late stage cancer diagnosis, and to use the experience and stories from patients and the public to inform how we design our services to reduce inequality.
To collaborate with our colleagues, patients and the public to design plans to reduce health inequalities that are responsive to the needs of local communities and the different people that live there.

Health inequalities strategy

Our vision is that every person in Humber and North Yorkshire has an equitable opportunity to have their cancer diagnosed at an early stage and can have equitable access to treatment, no matter who they are or where they live.

The Health Inequalities strategy has been developed to provide a directive steer on the work that the Cancer Alliance undertakes, and to our stakeholders and partners who work to reduce health inequalities.

Working with patient representatives and stakeholders from across the health and social care community, we have developed eight key objectives that are in line with guidance from NHS England on the practical steps required to tackle health inequality in communities.

More information

To understand how health inequalities impact the people in our region, we use the NHS Core20PLUSE5 approach.

If you would like to know more about the wider determinants of health, click here to read the Fair Society, Healthy Lives report.

To find out more inclusion health needs click here.

Click here to read about the English indices of deprivation 2019.

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