'Ending NHS postcode lottery is preferable to disability benefit cuts'

LAST week it was announced that the poorest parts of England such as Stoke-on-Trent are to receive a £2.2billion boost for more health staff and equipment to help close the widening funding gap between them and affluent areas.

- Charlotte Atkins — Councillor for Leek North and Cabinet Member for Services at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

This is part of the Government's new 10 year plan for the NHS.

But will it be enough to reverse the health inequalities that have built up over many years?

GPs are the first port of call for those needing healthcare.

But a recent study by the University of Manchester found that GPs working in the most deprived areas in England are paid on average £5,525 less a year than those working in wealthier areas.

They also have insufficient money to spend on staff and so employ fewer medical professionals.

Yet those GP practices are more likely to face greater pressures from patients with complex needs and have higher list sizes.

GP practices in areas of greatest need have on average 300 more patients per GP than those in more affluent areas, despite having to spend more time dealing with issues directly linked to poverty such as obesity, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.