BMJ  2008;336:1328 (14 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39609.351493.DB

News

Government pledges extra £34m to tackle health inequalities in England

Deborah Cohen

1 BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Inequalities in health persist and, in some cases, have widened, a government report launched this week has said. This is despite record spending in the NHS in England, which will further increase from just over £90bn ({euro}113, $176) in 2007-8 to £100bn in 2010-11.

The report, Health inequalities: progress and next steps, sets out the government’s plans to tackle health inequalities and help the most deprived communities. The report renewed the government’s pledge to reduce inequalities in health outcomes by 10% as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth by 2010.

Speaking at the launch health secretary, Alan Johnson, said the government’s strategy for tackling health inequality "involves action on three fronts"—acting on the wider social determinants of health, promoting healthy lifestyles, and improving access to services.

He also pledged an extra £34m for the coming year to fund programmes that improve life expectancy, reduce infant . . . [Full text of this article]


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