The overall aim is to produce high quality evidence to support action on the social inequalities driving health inequalities. We will evaluate the equity impacts of national and local policy and action and use innovative approaches to move knowledge into action in a timely and effective way. We will adopt an intersectional equity lens which places emphasis on (i) the interactions between factors such as gender, ethnicity, social class, age, disability, sexuality and place (ii) the structural determinants of health inequalities particularly material conditions and social power structures operating via discrimination in policies and institutions and (iii) a commitment to inclusive, co-produced research with communities of interest bearing the brunt of the social and health inequalities. We will also adopt a systems perspective recognising the complexity of an ever-shifting, multifaceted policy and implementation landscape at national, regional and local levels.
A key measure of health is life expectancy – how long on average people can expect to live. People living in poorer places tend to have lower life expectancy than people living in richer places. Other factors like gender, ethnicity and social class also combine to create disadvantage leading to differences in life expectancy. We call these differences in life expectancy health inequalities. They do not happen by chance. Action at national and local levels can close the gap between the most and the least disadvantaged. However, health inequalities have grown in the last 12 years and have become worse since the COVID19 pandemic. In this work programme we will produce evidence about the best way to improve health and reduce health inequalities.
There are many factors that influence health inequalities. The main causes are the conditions in which people live and work. The experience of discrimination, racism and stigma also contribute to poor health. We call these factors the wider social determinants of health. The Government are introducing policies to ‘level up’ living and working conditions and health across England. These policies aim to improve the conditions for people from disadavantated places and backgrounds. There are also policies aimed a supporting recovery from the COVID19 pandemic. We will assess the different approaches to Levelling Up and Recovery in different parts of the country and among different groups.
There is little research on the experience of people with overlapping forms of disadavantage (for example, gender, ethnicity and social class) and how this impacts health outcomes. These groups also have few opportunities to get involved in research. We will create research partnerships with these groups and work with them to develop knowledge that is grounded in their experience.
We will also develop ways to improve how we collect and use information. We will make sure our research tools are informed by peoples real life experiences and better reflect overlapping forms of disadvantage.
