‘Stark problems remain’ in tackling health inequalities
There is no obvious link between billions of pounds of NHS funding spent in England and improvement in tackling health inequalities, according to the Audit Commission.
Its review of public health performance and spending says it is also hard to get ‘any clear view of value for money’.
The Healthy balance briefing estimates that more than £20bn was allocated in 2009/10 on the basis of health inequalities.
But despite the health of the nation improving overall over the last decade, the commission concludes that, ‘if the big picture is positive, stark problems remain’.
Inequalities in the health of people from certain areas and social background has ‘stubbornly resisted improvement’, and has, in some cases, even increased.
The gap in death rates between the England average and the 20% of areas with the worst rates of deprivation and early death rose between 1998 and 2007 for both men and women. The gap in infant mortality at first narrowed and had been on course to meet the government’s target of a 10% reduction by 2010, but the figures show ‘little improvement’ during the past four years.
Despite the sums of money allocated, said the commission, ‘it is not always clear how much has been spent on improving health inequalities and what the impact has been’.
It also called for ‘more ruthless targeting of money and services and close attention to outcomes’.
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