NHS trusts across England say cost of living crisis has worsened health

Trust leaders said people who cannot afford to eat properly or heat their homes were arriving at hospital more unwell than they would have been otherwise. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

Almost every NHS trust across England surveyed has seen health worsen in their area as a result of poverty and the cost of living crisis, research has found.

The survey, conducted between February and March 2024 by NHS Providers, spoke to leaders at 72 NHS trusts, accounting for a third of all trusts in England. The trusts surveyed included acute, mental health, ambulance and community.