The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published a guidance document for physicians focused on building understanding of health inequalities and the actions they can take to make this is a bigger priority in their workplace.
Tackling health inequalities is key to improving the health of the country and reducing avoidable demand on health services. Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair – all patients should receive equal access, outcomes and experiences of health services and lead healthy lives. Addressing these inequalities should be a key focus for NHS organisations, and NHS leaders play an important role in pushing this forward.
The Bridging the gap guidance explains the importance of addressing health inequalities in the NHS and sets out the existing statutory duties and guidance given to NHS organisations on health inequalities. It also identifies the barriers and enablers to systems in prioritising work on health inequalities.
The RCP guidance document suggests a range of actions that all physicians and those in leadership positions can take to address health inequalities in their work and to advocate for health inequalities to become a bigger priority. These include:
For clinicians:
- Improve knowledge and understanding of health inequalities by reading and listening to podcasts
- Ask questions to senior colleagues to find out what is taking place to reduce health inequalities in your area
- Raise awareness and advocate among your team and in your organisation
- Address health inequalities in the everyday work that you carry out, including speaking to patients.
For leaders:
- Educate clinicians on health inequalities and how their work can make a difference
- Use data to inform practice and service provision
- Communicate the vision across your organisation and showcase examples of good practice
- Work with colleagues and stakeholders across the system to build momentum.
The RCP will assess what is needed to ensure successful implementation of these and further actions in NHS provider organisations and what education may be needed to achieve uptake.
You can download the guidance below. We’d welcome suggestions for additional actions to be included, or to hear about your experience of implementing actions from the guidance. We also want to hear about the good work happening in the physician community to reduce health inequalities. Please send any feedback or examples of good work to policy@rcp.ac.uk.
Health inequalities is one of the RCP’s policy and campaigns priorities for 2023-26. You can find out more about our policy and campaigns work on health inequalities here and the Inequalities in Health Alliance, which the RCP convenes, here.
This guidance was developed through the RCP advisory group on reducing inequalities in health and wellbeing, which comprises the RCP academic and clinical vice presidents, special adviser on population health, external health inequalities and public and population health experts, and Patient and Carer Network representatives. The document was approved by RCP Council.