Government ‘burying head in sand’ over health inequality, says bishop of London

Sarah Mullally, here giving the service of prayer and reflection in St Paul’s Cathedral after the Queen’s death, said immediate action was required to tackle the issue. Photograph: Ian West/PA

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.