The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has released
a new guidance
document aimed at empowering NHS leaders to make
reducing health inequalities a central part of their strategy.
The guidance provides actionable steps for tackling health
inequity within healthcare delivery, emphasising the vital role
clinicians and clinical leaders can play in addressing these
longstanding disparities.
Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair, yet they continue
to create barriers to equal access, outcomes, and experiences for
patients across the UK. The RCP argues that tackling these
disparities is essential to improving the nation's health and
reducing unnecessary pressures on healthcare services. The new
guidance underscores that NHS leaders have a statutory, moral,
and financial responsibility to prioritise this issue, and
includes:
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Practical actions for clinicians,
clinical leaders, and NHS organisations to make health
inequalities a strategic focus.
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Existing statutory duties and guidance,
helping organisations understand their obligations.
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Barriers and enablers to embedding health
equity into NHS systems and strategies.
The guidance emphasises that while addressing health inequalities
may seem daunting—particularly as many contributing factors lie
beyond the NHS—there are tangible steps clinicians and clinical
leaders can take. These steps include building understanding of
health inequalities among staff, using data to identify and
address disparities, advocating for health equity in
organisational decision-making, and strengthening collaboration
with community stakeholders.
Commenting on the guidance, Professor Carol Brayne,
special adviser on population health at the RCP,
said: "Health inequalities affect us all, and
addressing them is not just a moral imperative—it is a practical
one. Our guidance offers clear steps for NHS leaders and
clinicians to incorporate tackling health inequity into their
work, making it a tangible priority at an organisational level."
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The full guidance document is available on the RCP website.
