ONE of my responsibilities as the Shadow Minister for Public Health is scrutinising the Government’s action to tackle health inequalities.
Coming out of a pandemic which highlighted these inequalities, and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis in which these inequalities will only get worse, we should be seeing bold action from the Government to sort out these problems.
Sadly, however, this is not happening.
A girl born in the most deprived areas of the country will have a life expectancy 7.7 years less than a girl born in the least deprived areas. It’s even worse for boys, with a difference of 9.4 years.
This is a really shocking statistic but sadly a natural consequence of the economic inequality we see in our society.
As the cost of living crisis intensifies and poorer people feel the effect more, these health inequalities are only going to get worse.
Unfortunately, the Government is showing little interest in getting to grips with these problems.
On the cost of living, they’ve failed to take the steps necessary to help those struggling to pay their bills.
And when they have taken action, like the windfall tax on oil and gas producers, it’s been Labour’s ideas that they’ve used. They’re also failing to take action on the other causes of health inequalities.
I’ve consistently urged the Government to improve provision for green spaces for local communities. It’s one of the reasons that I worked so hard to fight the development of the Bredbury Industrial Estate deep into the Tame Valley.
For local people to stay healthy, they need access to spaces where they can exercise, socialise and relax.
Thankfully, we were successful in our fight to defend the Tame Valley, and as a result generations to come will be able to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful green space.
Local organisations in Tameside are also taking steps which will help reduce these disparities.
The Tameside Wellness Centre in Denton only opened in 2020, yet it is already expanding what it has on offer, with a new outdoor training centre opening next month.
This will add to their already extensive range of facilities, which include a gym, swimming pool, spa and bowling alley. Places like this are essential in reducing obesity and creating healthier communities.
I’ll keep fighting for action from the Government to tackle these inequalities.
If we are to ‘level up’ communities as the Government wants, then improving the health of our communities must be an essential part of that.