North inequalities cost UK economy £7.3bn over first year of the pandemic
Posted: 9th September 2021
Photo credit: Kelvin Jay
A new report from our partners at the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) has been welcomed by the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN and has confirmed the findings in our YHealth For Growth campaign that there are considerable health inconsistencies that exist in the North of England.
The NHSA’s report released yesterday (8 September), shows northerners were more likely to die from COVID-19, spent nearly a month and-a-half more in lockdowns, suffered worse mental health and were made poorer than the rest of England during the first year of the pandemic.
Around half of the increased COVID-19 mortality and two-thirds of the increased all-cause mortality were explained by preventable higher deprivation and worse pre-pandemic health in the North.
In July 2020, as part of our YHealth For Growth campaign, we published our ‘Levelling up Yorkshire and Humber’ report in which we provide recommendations on how to tackle the increasing socio-economic inequalities and boost health outcomes.
Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive Officer of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “We welcome this report from our partners at the NHSA which continues to shine a light on the health inconsistencies in the North of England compared to the rest of the country. At the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, we have recognised that there are strong linkages between improving health and economic growth. As a result, we are working hard to bring together development bodies and anchor institutions to deliver inclusive growth in our region and to ensure health is included as an outcome in all economic development policies.”
The report from the Northern Health Science Alliance, Policy@Manchester and northern National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaborations (NIHR ARCs), has laid clear the devastating impact of the pandemic on people across the North of England.