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The 10-Year Health Plan: Seven key messages from the HEEC Citizen Panel 

As the NHS looks ahead to the next decade, what truly matters to the people who rely on it every day? This blog shares reflections from the Health Equity Evidence Centre’s Citizen Panel, offering honest, hopeful perspectives on how the NHS can evolve to meet future challenges with compassion, fairness, and transparency.

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GP Contract 2024/25: More Money, Same Problems?

The additional £899m investment in general practice is a welcome step forward, and its positive impact should not be underestimated. The increase in global sum funding is a strong move, reinforcing the importance of capitation as a foundation for an equitable funding system. However, the Carr-Hill formula, which underpins funding allocation, reflects activity rather than need. The additional investment within the current funding streams shows that simply increasing investment without contract reform risks reinforcing existing funding inequalities.

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Early intervention, lasting change: Why Sure Start matters

This blog explores the vital role of Sure Start in improving children’s physical health, social functioning, and neurodevelopmental health – support eroded by austerity-driven cuts. It presents findings from the first systematic review of Sure Start’s health impacts, showing how early intervention reduced hospital admissions, childhood obesity, and improved school readiness. The evidence is clear: restoring Sure Start is key to tackling health inequities and giving every child a fair start in life.

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Operating room team of surgeons

Private health care: the emerging two-tier system

This blog explores the rise of private health care in the UK and its impact on creating a two-tier system. It highlights regional disparities in access to orthopaedic procedures and discusses the implications for patients, the NHS, and policymakers.

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Understanding the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in public health research

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a widely used measure in public health research and policymaking relating to health inequalities. By identifying areas with the greatest levels of deprivation, resources can be allocated more effectively to tackle systemic issues that contribute to unequal health outcomes. This blog provides an overview of the IMD and it’s use in public health research.

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Expansion of our Living Evidence Maps 

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“The more we know about ourselves the more we can grow as a people”

In this blog, Sharon Cumberbatch, an NHS nurse, shares her life story as a first-generation black British Caribbean, a health care trainee and a health care professional. In honour of Black History Month, Sharon reflects on the aspirations that have driven her in life, her experiences of systemic racism but also experiences of solidarity. She highlights the importance of learning – about the world but also about our own and others’ histories – as the cornerstone of caring communities.

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Ripple Effects: Reclaiming Our Stories

In this blog, Chris Frederick, a Lived Experience Advisor, explores how his life has been shaped by the intergenerational and historical trauma experienced by his family and within black communities. In honour of Black History Month, Chris traces the connections between the Windrush Generation, the Brixton riots, and the rise of Black mental health advocacy in the 21st century, highlighting the ongoing work of black communities to address health inequalities and tackle mental health stigma.

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Harnessing Health Impact Assessments for a fairer and healthier future 

A healthy population is key to citizen wellbeing, a productive economy and manageable public services. Policy decisions on jobs, income, housing, education, transport and green space have a major impact on health, but do not involve the Department of Health and Social Care. As the government sets out policies to deliver on its manifesto commitments, how can we ensure health is considered across government, mitigating the potential adverse impacts, ensuring equity and accentuating the positives? Here we argue that Health Impact Assessments are a key tool to cross-government action on health and health inequalities.

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