Health Inequalities

Theme Leader

Professor Liddy Goyder

Inequalities in health and in access to, and uptake of, health services are an ongoing problem and the health gap between the best and worst has increased rather than declined in the last twenty or so years.

Inequalities within a population have an impact upon health outcomes of a condition, or on health care access and provision of care for that condition, or on both. The starting point for the Public Health Section´s inequalities research agenda is that broadly speaking the determinants for health and the inequalities in those determinants, have been identified and are well documented. What is lacking with respect to inequalities in health and healthcare access, use and need is the evidence on how to address these.

Evidence-based information is needed on:

• what can work to address health inequalities associated with, or caused by, specific geographical, socio-economic, demographic, or clinical, issues ;associated with provision of, and/or access to, health care services
  
• understanding why such inequalities persist, and even widen, among certain populations

The Section of Public Health inequalities research team have a depth of experience in primary research into inequalities in health in the community, in primary and secondary care and in occupational settings, as well as in use, need and access to health care services. The team has expertise in a number of disease areas: diabetes, circulatory and respiratory diseases and renal disease and different methodologies including quantitative and qualitative research, action research, evaluation and systematic reviews of evidence.

The health inequalities research team have a programme of work that is contributing to addressing and reducing health inequalities in primary care and community health and health care over the next five years in South Yorkshire and wider through

• the development of an evidence base
• establishment of a taxonomy of what works
• creation of models to determine impact, and
• the application of targeted interventions.

We work closely with colleagues in the primary care trusts in South Yorkshire, the directors of Public Health in the strategic health authorities and the region, and those working in Government Offices in Yorkshire and the Humber, and in the public health observatories.