Experts warn austerity measures ‘have widened North-South health divide’

An independent inquiry commissioned by Public Health England says the impact of actions to control public spending has fallen more heavily on the North, further increasing the gap with the rest of England.

It recommends action to prevent poverty and promote prosperity by the provision of high-quality universal early years education and childcare, work to promote a living wage, and action to improve the quality and affordability of housing.

But it warns Government policy is the cause of some of the problems and calls for urgent action to ensure investment is effective in reducing inequalities and preventing austerity further widening gaps.

It recommends a national industrial strategy to reduce differences between regions by investing in sectors that promote sustainable employment in disadvantaged areas.

Public health expert Prof Margaret Whitehead, of Liverpool University, who chaired the inquiry, said: “It is shocking that a baby girl born in Manchester can expect to live for 15 fewer years in good health than a baby girl born in Richmond in London.

“This is not just about differences between the North and South, but also about a stark health divide between rich and poor areas within every region. These differences are unacceptable, and we have lived with them for too long.

“This report comes at a crucial time for action to address this long-standing problem. The austerity measures introduced as a response to the recession have fallen more heavily on the North, and on disadvantaged areas more than affluent areas, making the situation worse.”

The report sets out how northern agencies can make the best use of new devolved powers to tackle the causes of poor health and inequalities.