Telford MP, Lucy Allan has written to David Evans the Head of Future Fit questioning the programme’s consideration of need and health inequalities after meeting with Mr Evans last Friday.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 (HSCA 2012) introduced legal duties on NHS England and CCGs to reduce health inequalities and to “move towards greater investment in healthcare where the level of deprivation is higher.” Health inequality is defined as “differences in health … between different populations groups.”
Public Health England area profiles show Telford as having a deprivation score of 24.9 compared to 16.7 for Shropshire for 2015. The average across England is 21.8.
The English Indices of Deprivation 2015 use 38 separate indicators, organised across seven distinct domains of deprivation which can be combined, using appropriate weights, to calculate the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 (IMD 2015). This is an overall measure of multiple deprivation experienced by people living in an area.
Guidance published by NHS England for NHS Commissioners states that health inequalities must be properly and seriously taken into account when making decisions, and that this it is necessary to demonstrate that the appropriate amount of weight has been given to reducing health inequalities.
Commenting, Lucy Allan MP said: “After meeting with Mr Evans I came away with further concerns on Future Fit, especially around the programme’s use of data.
“Both the data and the commissioning guidelines are available online and having examined these I have significant reservations about whether appropriate weighting has been given to Telford’s health needs in Future Fit.
“I have written to Mr Evans to seek clarification from Future Fit that these data have been properly considered and the guidelines followed.
“With a deprivation level above that of the English average it is essential that the Women and Children’s Centre stays at the Princess Royal Hospital.”
Public Health England area profiles can be accessed at: http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/health-profiles
Guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties can be accessed at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/hlth-inqual-guid-comms-dec15.pdf