Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director for Policy and Public Affairs at Royal Society for Public Health said:

"The latest published ONS figures demonstrate a significant and concerning increase in the difference in life expectancy expected between those living in the most and least deprived areas. Whilst we can understand the impact that Covid-19 has had on this trend, we cannot ignore that it is a trend that had begun before the pandemic.  If we are going to be able to be more resilient to future disease, we must do more to build and support our public’s health."

“We cannot afford to not tackle and address the trajectory that we are currently on, or we risk seeing our children living worse lives than us, and those living in most deprived areas facing poorer and poorer health earlier in their lives."

“The RSPH sees the upcoming Health Disparities White Paper as a crucial opportunity to address the impact of deprivation on the public’s health. To let these health inequalities continue or widen further would mark an unacceptable levelling-down of the country.”