The most senior female bishop in the country has launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of “burying its head in the sand” over “shocking” and “rampant” health inequalities.
Dame Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, spoke out after the Guardian reported that Thérèse Coffey was dropping the government’s long-promised white paper on health disparities.
The document was supposed to appear months ago and form part of the government’s pledge to level up the UK. It was due to set out “bold action” to narrow the widening inequalities in health outcomes that exist between the poorest and the wealthiest, between white and black, Asian and minority ethnic people, and between those in the north and south.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has denied that Coffey, the health secretary, has decided not to publish the white paper.
Mullally, the first woman to hold the position of bishop of London and the third-highest-ranked bishop in the country, said immediate action was required to tackle “increasingly visible” health inequalities.
“In the quest for health outcome improvement, we can leave no man, woman or child behind,” she said. “That is why recent reports of the shelving of the government’s health disparities white paper are tough to swallow.”
Mullally, who this week will publish a report she commissioned on health inequalities in the capital, added: “It’s my sincere hope that the government joins us in looking for solutions, rather than burying its head in the sand.”
Her intervention follows a series of stories by the Guardian over the last 12 months exposing the true scale of health inequalities across the UK.
In April, the Guardian revealed women in the poorest areas of England were dying earlier than the average female in almost every comparable country in the world.
Millions of women living in the most deprived areas can expect to live for 78.7 years, almost eight years fewer than those living in England’s wealthiest areas. It is worse than the average life expectancy for women in every single one of the world’s OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, except Mexico.
The stark analysis also revealed that the average life expectancy for all women across England and the UK is lower than the global OECD average. The UK ranks 25th out of the 38 OECD countries when it comes to the number of years a woman can on average expect to live.
A DHSC spokesperson said at the time: “We are committed to levelling up health across the country and our health disparities white paper, due later this year, will set out action to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places, so that people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.” The white paper never appeared.
Mullally, who in her previous career was England’s chief nursing officer, said: “It is truly shocking that women in England’s poorest areas are dying nearly a decade before their wealthier counterparts. No one should have to accept living shorter or unhealthier lives just because of where they live. These inequalities need to be addressed, and it is concerning how far inequalities have fallen down the government’s agenda.
“The reality of health inequalities across our nation is undisputed. In recognition of this inequality, the Johnson government announced its intention to release a white paper investigating such inequalities. I certainly hope this vital work will be continued.”
The Health Inequalities Action Group (HIAG), a multi-faith initiative led by Mullally, is expected to make 14 recommendations to tackle health inequalities when it publishes its report this week.
Separately, more than 155 members of the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA), convened by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), have signed a joint letter to Coffey urging her to publish the health disparities white paper.
In February, Sajid Javid, the then health secretary, told MPs that he would publish “in spring 2022” a white paper on “health disparities”. The document never appeared and was a notable omission in Coffey’s new 14-page Our Plan for Patients plan.
Dr Sarah Clarke, the president of the RCP, said: “If we’re ever to reduce pressure on the NHS and lessen the demand for services, we need to tackle the root causes of ill health. This requires a specific cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities – one that looks at every policy lever across government to tackle the factors that make people ill in the first place.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is inaccurate to say that the health disparities white paper has been scrapped. No decisions have been taken and we will update on next steps in due course.
“We are committed to improving the health of the nation so that everyone can live longer, healthier lives, and we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda by publishing a women’s health strategy and appointing the first-ever women’s health ambassador for England.
“Our Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is working to reduce unacceptable health disparities, focusing on the places and communities where ill health is most prevalent and life expectancy lower.”
