South Shields MP backs calls for government action to tackle health inequality
Emma Lewell is among a cross-party unity that is calling on the government to tackle health inequality.
The Member of Parliament for South Shields, Emma Lewell, has backed urgent government action on avoidable early deaths in South Tyneside and the wider North East.
A coalition, titled Health Equals, of more than 80 organisations, backed by a network of 77 MPs, has called for urgent political action to address growing health inequalities across the UK.
Among the members are Mind, the British Red Cross, Citizens Advice, Crisis, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and more, used a parliamentary event to deliver a clear call to action to the government.
The event took place as the rates of people dying early (under 75) in South Tyneside were revealed as being double (102% higher) the area with the lowest rate.
Figures state that almost all the local authorities in the North East have premature mortality rates above the overall rate for England and Wales.
The coalition’s Make Health Equal campaign is calling for urgent action following a recent Government commitment in its 10-year health plan to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the country’s highest and lowest income regions.
Health Equals is calling for a cross-government strategy that address the building blocks of health, such as quality homes that are warm and safe, stable jobs, and clean air.
Ms Lewell has expressed her concerns over premature mortality rates in the borough and spoke of her pride at backing the coalition’s calls for improved health equality.
She said: “It is deeply worrying that in South Tyneside, people are 102% more likely to die prematurely than in other parts of the country, largely because they do not have the same access to the building blocks of health.
“These things, like safe, affordable homes, secure jobs, healthy food to eat and clean air to breathe, keep us in good health for longer; this shouldn’t be determined by our postcode.
“It’s simply unfair that people in parts of South Shields are expected to live 15 years less than other parts of the country and that’s why I’m proud to be a Health Equals Parliamentary champion working to ‘Make Health Equal’, calling for a national cross-government strategy to tackle health inequalities.”
Paul McDonald, Chief Campaigns Officer at Health Equals, has stated that the Government has an opportunity to improve the health of the public across the country.
He added: “Health inequality is a national crisis hiding in plain sight and the public is waking up to it. The data shows that people in some areas of England and Wales are twice as likely to die before 75 than people in other areas.
“This reflects deep-rooted inequality tied to where people live, work, and learn.
“Our health is shaped by the world around us - stable jobs, quality homes, and clean air are vital to our wellbeing. These essential building blocks aren’t accessible to everyone, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
“The Government has a real opportunity to act on these through their Growth and Opportunity missions.
“Health Equals is calling for a cross-government health inequalities strategy to tackle this inequality and stop lives being cut short.”
You can find out more details about Health Equals at: https://healthequals.org.uk/make-health-equal/.