Health Inequalities

Tuesday 7th December 2010, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel - London, 08:55 - 16:05

Tackling Health Inequalities: Improving Health and Well-being

Overview

To address the causes of health inequalities, including poverty, low educational achievement and poor housing, a long-term coordinated commitment across government departments, local authorities, the health service and wider society is vital. Evidence shows that the more favoured a person is socially and economically the better their health - an estimated 2.5 million years of life are potentially lost every year due to premature death caused by inequality.

In February 2010, Professor Sir Michael Marmot published 'Fair Society, Healthy Lives: A Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England Post-2010'. This report sets out a series of evidence based strategies and policies to tackle the social determinants of health inequality. Widely accepted, the reports’ recommendations include measures to give every young person the best start in life, the need to create fair employment for all and strategies to create healthy and sustainable communities.

The Marmot Review calls for measures to tackle health inequalities to be delivered at the local level through multi-agency working across central and local government, the NHS, third and private sector organisations and empowered community groups. Reduced inequalities benefit society not only through improved health, but also economically through increased productivity, higher tax revenue, lower welfare payments and treatment costs.

A recent National Audit Office report revealed that although life expectancy has improved, the gap in life expectancy between socio-economic groups has widened. Those in the lowest socio-economic groups can expect to die 7 years before those in the highest and the failure to reduce inequalities has cost an estimated 3,300 lives. The coalition government are committed to reducing these inequalities. In the Programme for Government, they announced the creation of a ‘Health Premium’, allocating greater funding to the poorest areas. The government have also announced an intention to investigate the best ways to improve access to preventative care for those in disadvantaged areas.

Agenda

This forum will discuss the ongoing challenges in the drive to tackle health inequalities, the latest policy developments and the impact of the 'Liberating the NHS' white paper on increasing access to preventative care. With keynote presentations from senior practitioners, delegates will benefit from first class, practical guidance on how to improve public health and reduce inequality.

08:55	Registration and Coffee
09:20	Chair’s Welcome Address Dr Julie Fish, Co-convenor, Social Work and Health Inequalities Network and Reader, Social Work and Health Inequalities, De Montfort University (CONFIRMED)
09:30	Opening Keynote: Tackling Health Inequalities Implementing the findings of the Marmot Review The challenges to reducing health inequalities The key factors behind inequalities – socio-economic disadvantage, poor housing, low educational achievements and unemployment Weighting budgets towards the most disadvantaged areas through the health premium. Partnership working together to improve the health of residents Incentivising GPs to prioritise preventative care Encouraging behavioural change Professor Peter Goldblatt, Senior Research Fellow, Health Inequalities Review for England, University College London (CONFIRMED)
09:50	Question and Answer Session
10:00	Healthcare Professionals – Transforming Services Promoting change in public services Improving health outcomes and a reduction in health inequalities through the commissioning process Transforming community services – access to GPs and other health services in poorer areas with a high health need Encouraging healthy lifestyles Ensuring interventions in health reach those most in need Increasing provision of preventative services - tackling health inequalities Dr Iona Heath, President, Royal College of General Practitioners (CONFIRMED)
10:20	Tackling Health Inequalities: Underlying Factors and Approaches to Addressing Them - a Case Study From Luton UK perspective – What do we already know? What should we focus on? A case study from Luton – Our approach: Developing a partnership wide strategy to address the issue of inequality Understand the ‘political’ context as well as the health context Identify where inequality exists within your community Fully utilising partner organisations’ existing relationships with community groups to tackle inequality Establishing a collaborative approach to working with primary carers Professor Gurch Randhawa, Professor of Diversity in Public Health; Director, Institute for Health Research, University of Bedfordshire and Chair, NHS Luton (CONFIRMED)
10:40	Question and Answer Session
10:55	Coffee and Networking
11:20	Tackling Health Inequalities in the Big Society The impact of the government’s ‘Big Society’ programme on health inequalities Sharing responsibility with patients and the public in delivering better health for all Building a preventative health system The role of co-production and its potential impact on health inequalities Anna Coote, Head of Social Policy, the new economics foundation (CONFIRMED)
11:40	Case Study: The Role of the Third Sector in Health Improvement Delivering services in disadvantaged areas Supporting health professionals to understand and tackle health inequalities Identifying and meeting needs - assisting GPs and health professionals to provide services Working in partnership to provide integrated services with flexible access Engaging with communities in the design and delivery of care Ralph Michell, Head of Policy, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (CONFIRMED)
12:00	Question and Answer Session
12:15	Lunch and Networking
13:15	The Wider Social Determinants of Health Reflections on the social determinants of public health What can be done to reduce the major risk factors of poor health? The impact of the recession on health inequalities Professor Clare Bambra, Professor of Public Health Policy, Department of Geography, Durham University (CONFIRMED)
13:35	Case Study: Health and Well-being - A Multi-Agency Approach Supporting councils - funding healthy communities programmes Partnerships for health - reducing health inequalities Funding options beyond 2011 The role of community settings in healthcare Working with the NHS to improve the health of local residents Strategies for reducing inequalities in life expectancy Enhancing local control over health budgets Helping individuals take responsibility for their own health Encouraging healthy lifestyles – building healthy communities Dr Fu-Meng Khaw, Joint Director of Public Health, Newcastle Primary Care Trust and Newcastle City Council (CONFIRMED)
13:55	The Environmental Causes of Inequality - Building Healthy Communities The impact of the local environment on public health Supporting local authorities – the funding options for healthy communities programmes Priorities and outcomes - measuring performance and impact A holistic approach to tackling inequality Encouraging healthy lifestyles through infrastructure The role of community settings in healthcare Engaging with communities in the design and scope of health services Susan Francis, Special Advisor for Health, CABE (CONFIRMED)
14:15	Question and Answer Session
14:30	Coffee and Networking
15:00	The Economic Cost of Inequality Investing in preventative healthcare – cost-effective solutions Reducing variations in public health The financial cost of health inequalities – loss of productivity, higher welfare payments, higher treatment costs Ensuring value for money in health services Achievements and future challenges Karen Taylor, Head of Health Value for Money, National Audit Office (CONFIRMED)
15:20	Positive Health Outcomes for All Reducing inequalities as a top priority for the health service Tackling the social causes of health inequalities Expected impact of the health premium Identifying, developing and supporting organisations and individuals who take on public health roles Outcomes focused services - shared objectives and aims Pooling budgets and collaborative procurement The Big Society - extending the role of the third sector in the provision of health services David Buck, Deputy Director, Health Inequalities Unit, Department of Health (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Question and Answer Session
16:00	Chair's Closing Remarks
16:05	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates attending this forum will include PCT's, representatives from the NHS, health authorities, private health services, central and local government, education, social care and business sectors specifically; heads of PCT’s, directors of public health, GP's, commissioning directors, heads of procurement, heads of estate, research and development managers, heads of innovation and development, preventative health professionals, heads of nutrition and dieticians, health and social care directors, communication & marketing directors, environmental health officers, technical directors, project directors, HR managers, health and wellbeing mangers, chief nurses, occupational health managers and health inequalities professionals.