Specific evidence based proposals to reduce health inequalities are to be announced this summer in a “refreshed” strategy from the UK government.

England’s deputy chief medical officer, Fiona Adshead, speaking at a conference last week, said that the revised strategy would contain proposals that would be costed and backed by real evidence.

Dr Adshead was speaking at the Tackling Health Inequalities to Meet 2010 Targets conference, organised by the health policy think tank the King’s Fund, in London.

The government had committed itself, she said, in the Tackling Inequalities: A Programme for Action strategy of 2003 to specific targets, such as a 10% reduction in inequalities by 2010, measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

But a recent report showed …