Will Mellor and Dr Amir Khan call for change in the law to tackle national health crisis

• New data analysis from Health Equals reveals lives are being cut short by up to 18 years in parts of the UK, and things like toxic air, damp homes and unstable work are part of the problem.
• Health Equals supported by Will Mellor and Dr Amir Khan, launched their ‘Shelf Life’ campaign in central London yesterday to highlight the new stats which reveal the dramatic life expectancy gap in the UK.
• The campaigning coalition is calling on Andy Burnham for a change in the law to make sure this and future governments tackle inequalities and help everyone live longer, healthier lives.

New analysis by campaigning coalition Health Equals reveals an alarming life expectancy gap across the UK, with people from some areas expected to live up to 18 years less than others.

This unique analysis brings together life expectancy estimates at a highly localised level for all four UK nations, and paints a bleak picture of the country’s inequalities. The figures show that inequality isn’t as simple as just a north-south divide, and that each postcode tells its own story of health.

The gap was calculated using small, neighbourhood-level data to give the most localised estimates of life expectancy available. And the devastating truth is that where you’re born, work and live can impact how long you live. For example, life expectancy in places like Marylebone and Berkhamsted is 88, but in places like Glasgow, and Grimsby, this plummets by 18 years to 70.

To mark the launch of the campaign, actor Will Mellor and media medic Dr Amir Khan joined Health Equals at the ‘Shelf Life’ installation in Old Spitalfields Market, London. The eye-catching stunt featured oversized supermarket-style packaging with live actors inside, displaying reduced stickers based on life expectancy data from different areas across the UK. Inspired by products nearing the end of their shelf life, the stunt was designed to highlight the stark differences in life expectancy across the UK and bring to life the realities and injustice behind the statistics.

Good health starts with the basics we all need: a safe home, secure work, enough money to cover everyday costs, and supportive local communities. When these basics are missing – when homes are damp, work is insecure, or money is tight—it becomes harder for people to stay healthy and live well, and inequalities widen.

New OnePoll research commissioned by Health Equals reveals overwhelming public concern about health inequalities across the UK, with 95% of respondents agreeing that differences in life expectancy in the UK are a problem.

Additionally, only 21% think that the government is doing enough to tackle health inequalities between people in different postcodes in the UK. The findings also highlight strong public awareness of the factors that shape health beyond healthcare. People identified access to affordable healthy food (83%), air quality (79%) and housing (68%) as leading factors that can affect physical health

As Parliament returns on 1^st September, Health Equals is calling on our new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham to change the law to make it a legal duty for this and future governments to create better health in every postcode. Members of the public can get involved by using the postcode checker and writing to their MP to demand this change.

Will Mellor, actor and TV presenter, said:  

 It’s shocking to think that there’s an 18-year gap in life expectancy between some communities across the UK. Having grown up on a council estate in Stockport, that’s difficult to get my head around. Two people from different parts of the UK can be working hard, doing their best, and yet one could still live so many years fewer than the other.

What really struck me about this campaign is seeing the data broken down to such a local level. It stops being just a set of statistics and becomes about the places we live, work and raise our families.  I’d encourage everyone to check their own postcode on the Health Equals website because the results are genuinely eye-opening. When you see the difference between communities that can be just a few miles apart, the issue becomes impossible to ignore.

Dr Amir Khan, NHS GP, TV presenter and author said: 

This campaign is deeply personal to me. I don’t just see the impact of health inequalities in my work as a GP, I’ve lived them too. Growing up working class in inner-city Bradford, I know what it feels like to have the odds stacked against you and how difficult life can be when you’re focused on simply getting through each day.

Today, I see these same challenges affecting many of my patients. I see people living in damp homes, struggling with financial insecurity or juggling multiple jobs, and I see the impact that can have on their health.

We’re very good at treating illness, but health starts long before someone walks into a GP surgery. It is shaped by things like our homes, jobs, education and local environment. Your postcode shouldn’t determine your shelf life. But right now, in the UK, it does. That’s why these figures should be considered a national crisis, and why we need governments to commit to meaningful action to tackle the root causes of poor health and health inequalities.

Paul McDonald, Director of Health Equals says: 

Your postcode shouldn’t determine your shelf life. But in the UK, it does. Let’s not forget that behind these figures are real people with families, loved ones, jobs, hobbies – and their lives are being cut short because of things out of their control. This should be considered a national crisis.

This isn’t just bad luck or down to individual choices—it’s because too many people don’t have access to the basics that help us stay healthy. And these inequalities don’t just affect individuals—they hold back families, jobs and our economy, and put pressure on services like the NHS.

Our health should be a national priority, and change is possible. Health Equals is calling for a change in the law to make improving health and tackling inequalities a legal duty for this and future governments.  If Andy Burnham is serious about creating good growth in every British postcode, this will be one of his first priorities in Number 10.

Maureen Burke, MP for Glasgow North East, said:

Where you are born shouldn’t decide how long you live, yet Glasgow remains trapped at the bottom of the UK’s life expectancy table.

As the MP for Glasgow North East, I see the impact of health inequalities every day. I regularly meet people doing everything they can to build a good life for themselves and their families, only to face barriers to good health completely outside their control.

Too often, we talk about health as something that begins in hospitals and GP surgeries. In reality, health begins in our homes, workplaces, schools, parks and streets.

What makes the findings of this analysis so troubling is that they are largely preventable. No community should be expected to simply accept shorter lives and poorer health. We need government to put health equity at the heart of policymaking and deliver meaningful change for communities that have been left behind for far too long.

Dr Nick Hopkinson, Medical Director at Asthma + Lung UK, member of Health Equals, said: 

As a doctor, I see first-hand how the conditions in which we live, work and grow affect our health, and nowhere is the inequity starker than in respiratory health. Poor housing with damp and mould can worsen lung conditions, while bad air quality is linked to heart and lung disease. Financial insecurity also takes a serious toll on people’s mental and physical health. Over time, these pressures build up, leading to worse health and shorter lives.

The widening life expectancy gap we see across the UK is not inevitable. By improving the building blocks of health, safe homes, clean air, secure work, sufficient income and healthy communities, more children can have a decent start to life, and people can live longer, healthier lives, regardless of their postcode.

But, if Government doesn’t commit to a bold national strategy on lung health and a Modern Service Framework to improve respiratory care, lung disease will continue to drive inequality in the UK.

Health Equals is calling for a change in the law to:

• Ensure that preventing ill health is given the same importance as treating it
• Require the Government to produce a joined-up plan across every relevant department, to tackle health inequalities and reduce premature mortality
• Consider health in every major policy decision