My View: Health Inequality in Redcar

I am determined to work hard to speak out about the problems people face in our constituency, so we can work to lift people out of poverty, tackle inequality and improve the health of our community. I'm contacted all the time by constituents who are struggling to access healthcare and medical support, and am frequently advocating for better access to treatment for our area, so please know this remains an absolute priority for me. Whether that is by helping individual constituents on a personal level, or pushing my colleagues in our Government to ensure Redcar is not overlooked, I will always do my best to stand up for the health of every single person here.

For a small nation, there are a lot of inequalities within the population and for too many people today, their health is dictated by their wealth. Many of the biggest health inequalities entrenched years before patients walk through the doors of the NHS. Poverty, a lack of good work, damp housing, and dirty air are just some of the factors that have widened the gap between the health of the poorest and wealthiest parts of the country.

In my view, a preventative approach to public health is the best way to ensure people live longer, healthier lives and to prevent premature deaths. I strongly support the Government’s new 10 Year Health Plan for England, which will deliver a shift in the whole health system from sickness to prevention, with an ambitious commitment to halve the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions.

I also believe that our Government must step in to combat the drivers of ill health within people's lives, including damp homes, dirty air and a lack of opportunity. That is why I am proud that our Government recently passed Awaab's Law to ensure that every resident of social housing can live in a safe, decent home. This represents a landmark step forward, and I am delighted that the new Renters Rights Act will extend this law to the private rented sector alongside the first ever Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes.

To ensure that everyone can live in a healthy and warm home, the Chancellor announced at the most recent Budget that £150 would be cut from the average household's energy bills, alongside an additional £1.5 billion of capital investment to tackle fuel poverty. I recognise that cold and damp homes and air pollution are symptoms of the wider housing and environmental crisis this Government inherited, and I am pleased it is taking action through an ambitious target of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes, working across departments to reduce emissions, and introducing a new air quality alert system to protect vulnerable groups.