NHS trusts across England say the cost of living crisis has worsened health

Research has found that almost every NHS trust across England has seen health in their region deteriorate due to poverty and the cost of living crisis.

The survey, carried out between February and March 2024 by NHS Providers, spoke to leaders from 72 NHS trusts, accounting for a third of all trusts in England. The trusts surveyed included acute, mental health, ambulance and community.

Ninety-six percent of NHS trusts surveyed said the cost of living crisis had worsened health in their local area, while more than half said the fall was “significant”. More than half (51%) of NHS trusts said there was a lack of funding for initiatives that would reduce health inequalities in their local areas, the research found.

The research also highlighted the specific challenges faced by NHS trust leaders, including people who cannot afford to eat well or heat their home and arrive at hospital worse off than they otherwise would have, as well as an increased demand from patients trying to access local healthcare. mental healthcare.

Alex Whitfield, the chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the cost of living crisis is affecting both workers and patients.

“The difficult financial climate we live in is undoubtedly impacting the mental, physical and financial well-being of our workforce, as well as the people living in the communities we serve. As a trust we are working hard to reduce this impact,” said Whitfield.

“We notice that the difficult financial climate has consequences for our patients. In addition to the increased demand for our services, we also see more and more people with complex social circumstances reporting to our hospitals.”

She added that to tackle the issues, the trust has been working with several organizations to help improve health outcomes in the local area. “Together with our partners across the system, we are developing our partnership approach to work even more closely with colleagues in non-NHS services such as housing, employment, policing and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors,” Whitfield said.

Saffron Cordery, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the research highlights the “significant challenges faced by NHS trusts in tackling health inequalities”.

Cordery said: “Ensuring that healthcare is fair for all is not only a moral obligation for the NHS, but also a legal obligation.

“Trust leaders are working hard to ensure this, but are being thwarted by persistent funding barriers and the rising costs of housing, energy and food, which continually push people into poverty and associated poor health.

“To meaningfully close the health inequalities gap, trusts need protected long-term funding for specific health inequalities initiatives.

“We are at a crucial moment. Decisions made by the next government will have lasting implications for healthcare equality in England. It is time to move beyond quick fixes and create a sustainable, equitable health and care system for all.”

Hannah Davies, executive director of Health Equity North, said the rising cost of living, combined with “systemic underfunding of structures designed to help the most vulnerable in society survive, is having a devastating impact on the health of people in the whole country”.

Davies added: “It is no wonder that healthcare providers are seeing such a profound impact on the healthcare system. We must now move to informed, place-based prevention.

“We need a health inequality strategy, and evidence-based policies that address the broader determinants of health, such as poverty, housing, energy security, education, productivity and employment rates, to be put in place as a priority. By doing so, we can pave the way for a fairer, healthier society and a more sustainable healthcare system of the future.”

A Government spokesperson said: “The Government is working to ensure that everyone across the country has access to the highest quality healthcare, where and when they need it. That’s why NHS England is working to reduce health inequalities and improve the health of the poorest 20% of the population, regardless of where they live.

“This complements our Major Conditions Strategy, which will help manage conditions responsible for poor health and premature mortality, and address disparities in health outcomes, supporting the mission to close the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030.”