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People living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to have an emergency stay in hospital that could have been avoided (an avoidable emergency admission). In 2015 there were over 250,000 avoidable emergency admissions linked to living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England*. Getting health and social care systems working better together to reduce avoidable emergency admissions is a top priority for the NHS.
The extra cost to the NHS of socioeconomic inequality is calculated to be £4.8 billion a year in greater hospitalisations**. There is an even greater personal cost. No one wants to stay in hospital when this could be avoided. It is unfair this happens more to people in more disadvantaged areas. This needs to change and the NHS has a legal duty to consider reducing these unfair differences. Tackling this problem requires actions on a broad scale, with health and social care working with other agencies. The UNFAIR research programme will generate evidence around how to do this better.
We will co-produce with patients, the public and health professionals a summary of the learning from this research. NHS England and Public Health England plan to share this learning with all local areas across England as part of support they provide to help address unfair differences in health. Therefore, this research will help local areas ensure services work better together to particularly help those living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This will not only benefit patients, but by reducing avoidable emergency admissions, will also reduce pressure on overburdened hospital care.
Members of the public, patients, and health professionals have helped develop this research such that it is informed by those who will benefit from it. Through regular input to the advisory group, they will continue to be engaged, both in shaping the direction of, and in developing and sharing outputs from, this research.