Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting Health Equals’ Annual Parliamentary Reception!

The event was a huge success, showcasing over twenty organisations who are working tirelessly to reduce health inequalities to cross-party Parliamentarians. We also heard from the experiences of award-winning author and campaigner Darren McGarvey. I am pleased that the Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton came along to share her work on health inequalities and this Government’s Ten Year Health Plan.

The Make Health Equal campaign is calling for urgent action following the recent commitment by the Government in its 10-Year health plan to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the country’s highest income and lowest income regions. Health Equals is calling for a cross-government health inequalities strategy that addresses the building blocks of health. These building blocks include quality homes that are warm and safe, stable jobs and clean air – all things that contribute to how healthy we are and ultimately, how long we live.

This event followed-up on the recent adjournment debate I held on Community Health in Manchester Rusholme where I raised the various contributors to community health. As we all know, there are many contributors to community health that are comprised of far more than NHS services, including housing, local environments, clean air, safety, education, poverty and quality of work.

In Manchester Rusholme, we have the 19th lowest life expectancy of all constituencies, at 77.2 years, which is 7 years lower than the figure for the healthiest communities. Nearly 50% of children in Manchester are growing up in poverty, and 95% of privately rented homes there are unaffordable. My constituents are also more likely to be harmed from toxic air. This motivates much of my work on reducing health inequalities, as I see first-hand how they are so detrimental to my constituents.

So in the debate, I called for a cross-governmental community health strategy to tackle the unequal access to a good quality of life, because I believe a whole-Governmental approach is needed to put health at the centre of every Government Department.

I was therefore proud to sponsor this event as a Health Equals Parliamentary Champion, to showcase all of the wonderful work that is already taking place, as well as providing an opportunity to call for action.

As an MP, I will continue to prioritise advocating for better outcomes for those whose lives are being cut short by up to 16 years because of unequal access to the building blocks of health.