Reid unveils action plan to cut inequality in NHS

The government has published an action plan today which seeks to reduce inequality in the health service.

The proposal, 'Health Inequalities - A Programme for Action' was launched by Health Secretary John Reid at a visit to Bromley-By-Bow Healthy Living Centre, East London, this morning.

The plan provides guidance for local organisations to change the way they deliver services to improve the health of disadvantaged groups.

It covers not just the NHS but local authorities, social services, education, planning and employment.

Health Secretary John Reid said: "For too long we have been prepared to tolerate glaring differences in health between different parts of our country and different groups within it.

"Why should we accept that a man born in Manchester can expect to live, on average, 10 years less than one born in Dorset and that a woman born in Manchester is likely to live seven years less than a woman born in West Somerset?

"These differences are not only unfair - they are avoidable. Tackling these injustices is a task for us all - for the NHS, certainly, and my department. But also for local authorities, the education system, and the world of work. Most of all, it is a challenge for local communities themselves."

The government has produced a public service agreement (PSA) target last November which pledges to reduce inequalities in health by 10% by 2010.

(GMcG)