A million people in England had their lives cut short because of health inequality between 2011 and 2019, research has found.
The UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE) found that a million people in England would have lived longer if they had experienced the same death rates as in the 10% of wealthiest areas in the country.
The institute said it had previously found that pre-2010 government policies were beginning to close the gap in health equality, but said funding cuts associated with austerity meant inequality has since widened, with life expectancy failing to increase.
IHE director Professor Michael Marmot said the UK was a ‘case study example of what not to do’ to tackle health inequality.
He said: ‘Our country has become poor and unhealthy, where a few rich, healthy people live. People care about their health, but it is deteriorating, with their lives shortening, through no fault of their own.
‘Political leaders can choose to prioritise everyone’s health, or not. Currently they are not.
‘Important as is the NHS – publicly funded and free at the point of use – action is needed on the social determinants of health: the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.’
