Health Disparities White Paper Scrapped
Last year, the Government launched a landmark review to improve health outcomes and tackle health inequalities. Their long-awaited Health Disparities White Paper was due for publication imminently, but in written questions to the Department of Health and Social Care, MP Neil O’Brien (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health) announced that the new Major Conditions Strategy will capture most elements originally set in the Health Disparities White Paper. The strategy will tackle cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.
We are disappointed that the Health Disparities White paper is now scrapped, reducing the gap in health inequalities and addressing disparities is crucial to improve the long-term health of our nation. This new strategy also appears to focus on the treatment and care of these conditions rather than prevention and health inequalities.
As stated by MP Matt Hancock in 2018, prevention is vital to improve population health and help NHS services that we all rely on. Prioritising prevention will also reduce health inequalities and boost the health of our economy1.
1. Department of Health and Social Care, Prevention is better than cure (2018) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/753688/Prevention_is_better_than_cure_5-11.pdf
