University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) hosted its first summit for health equality, ‘Together We Can’, on Tuesday 9 July 2024. Healthcare professionals, community leaders, and advocates dedicated to reducing health inequalities came together to understand the local picture and take action in partnership. The event was a first of its kind for the Trust and the University of Leicester’s Institute for Policy, shaped by community leaders and members of UHL’s new Health Equality Partnership.
Health inequalities are avoidable differences in healthcare that see some groups experience significantly worse outcomes. They are prevalent in Leicester, Leicestershire in Rutland, where the life expectancy gap between the wealthiest and least wealthy areas is 12 years. While a range of factors shape equal health, including income, housing, ethnicity and access to employment – health and care services play a key role in narrowing the gap.
UHL Chief Executive, Richard Mitchell, welcomed 250 guests to the university’s Sir Bob Burgess Building, reinforcing the importance of collective action to tackle health inequalities.
“At UHL, we have made a strategic commitment to embed health equality and inclusion in all we do, and today is about making that a reality. I believe that by working with our partners, communities, and the voluntary sector we can make a real difference in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland,” Richard said in his opening remarks.
Summit highlights included a keynote speech by Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England, alongside a panel of community leaders sharing their views.
The event also showcased successful UHL projects that are already helping to make a difference in our local communities. They include an initiative to promote earlier access to maternity care for Black women, led by Consultant Midwife, Flo Cox. Data from the MBRRACE report shows that Black women are 3.7 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women nationally. In Leicester, data shows that Black women are less likely to present to healthcare professionals in the early stages of pregnancy and could be missing out on vital support. The project seeks to understand and address barriers to access.
Hashim Duale MBE, co-founder of Daryeel Autism and a member of the local Somali community in Leicester, hosted one of the breakout sessions at the summit. Hashim said: “It was great to be part of such an insightful and inspiring summit. The thought-provoking breakout sessions were filled with an energy and desire to make a difference.”
Director of Health Equality and Inclusion at UHL, Dr Ruw Abeyratne, who spoke earlier in the day about diversity, deprivation and inequalities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said:
“There is a huge amount that we can do to change the picture of health inequalities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and today has demonstrated how we start to do so. It is vital that we understand the data on how different groups are experiencing healthcare and address challenges jointly with the communities facing them.
I would like to thank everyone who joined us – the summit highlights just how important this work is and why it is vital we do it together.”
Last year, UHL published its first prevention annual report, which highlighted the efforts the Trust is making to reduce alcohol misuse in the population and help more than 3, 000 people to quit smoking and make healthier choices. This year, in partnership with communities, it launched the UHL Health Equality Partnership – with over 40 community leaders on board to check and challenge the Trust’s health inequalities programme.
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