One in four ‘economically inactive’ people live in the 50 local authority areas in England with the highest levels of ill health, research shows.
The report, published by the Commission on Health and Prosperity at the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR), found a “double injustice” where places with poorer health also had lower household incomes and higher poverty rates.
The analysis of ONS statistics found that people living in England’s most deprived local authorities were almost one and a half times as likely to report economic inactivity – meaning they were not working, studying or looking for work – and twice as likely were likely to be in poor health.
The IPPR described such areas as “poor health problems”, where there was a link between high levels of poor health and economic inactivity.
In Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham, almost one in ten people were in poor health, while over a third of the population was also economically inactive. In contrast, less than 4% of the population in Hart, West and South Oxfordshire and Wokingham were in poor health, while less than a fifth were also economically inactive.
The places with poor health and high levels of economic inactivity also have some of the lowest levels of healthy life expectancy in England, with Liverpool at 58 years, compared to Wokingham – where healthy life expectancy is over 70 years.
Efua Poku-Amanfo, the lead author of the report, said the study makes the case for government spending and health measures.
She said: “It’s not only the morally right thing to do, it’s also the economically sensible thing to do. Poor health conditions, particularly in the North East and North West of England and South Wales, are hampering national economic growth and holding back the nation’s wealth and health.’
A 2022 IPPR survey found that economic inactivity due to illness was at its highest level since records began, with 2.5 million working-age adults inactive due to their health.
One solution to the “bad health problems” proposed in the report was the creation of specific areas that resemble clean air zones. These ‘zones for improving health and prosperity’ would instead focus on improving key factors that influence physical and mental health.
Dr. Luke Munford, senior lecturer in health economics at the University of Manchester and academic co-director of Health Equity North, said the report “sheds further light on the interconnected nature of poverty, poor health and limited economic prospects and prosperity. All three are deeply unfair, and all three cluster in certain parts of the country.”
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Angela Rayner, Labor Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for Higher Level, Housing and Communities, said: “The Conservatives’ promise to Level Up is a scam, and their fourteen-year failure is damaging health and people’s opportunities.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 and closing the gap between local areas by 2030, including by investing up to £14.1 billion to improve healthcare and help people live longer and healthier.
“Our Major Conditions Strategy will focus on the prevention and management of conditions responsible for more than 60% of ill health, and our plans for a smoke-free generation will make a significant difference as people in more deprived areas almost are twice as likely to die from smoking-related conditions.
“Our back-to-work plan will also help an additional 1.1 million people find and retain work that suits their needs, including through integrated mental health care such as NHS talking therapies.”