What is deprivation health?

 The index of multiple deprivation ranks each small area in England from most to least deprived based on a combination of seven different factors including:

• income
• employment
• education
• health
• crime
• barriers to housing and services
• living environment

Evidence shows that those living in the most deprived areas of England face the worst healthcare inequalities in relation to healthcare access, experience and outcomes.

That’s why the Core20PLUS5 approach, developed by the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme to support the reduction of healthcare inequalities focuses specifically on the ‘Core20’ most deprived 20% of the national population. The approach also defines other population groups that may face disadvantages including those from ethnic minority communities and inclusion health groups, many of which are also impacted by deprivation, for example people experiencing homelessness, asylum seekers and those in contact with the criminal justice system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the long-standing healthcare inequalities experienced by those living in the most deprived areas, and the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme is leading action to better prevent and respond to these inequalities.

One of the key ways we are doing this is by improving access to good quality data in order to target action to narrow healthcare inequalities.

The Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Dashboard is available to regions, systems, primary care networks, NHS providers and local authorities, and provides key strategic indicators relating to health inequalities all in one place. Data is cut by ethnicity and deprivation and covers the five priority areas for narrowing health inequalities in 2021-22 planning guidance as well as the five clinical areas of focus outlined in our Core20PLUS5 approach.