Reducing inequalities

In England, health inequalities are often analysed and addressed by policy across four factors:

• socio-economic factors, for example, income
• geography, for example, region or whether urban or rural
• specific characteristics including those protected in law, such as sex, ethnicity, or disability 
• socially excluded groups, for example, people experiencing homelessness.

People experience different combinations of these factors, which has implications for the health inequalities that they are likely to experience. 

Ensuring everyone can access - and benefit from – mental health treatment, rehabilitation and recovery services on an equal footing is a key priority for IMPACT and a commitment to reducing inequality underpins all our work programmes.

Through our ongoing co-production activity and service-user involvement, we are determined to better understand the experience and needs of service-users who encounter barriers in achieving their best clinical and social outcomes. This insight will help us shape existing provision and design future services that are fair and accessible to all: providing equal opportunity across all protected groups and the comparable outcomes as achieved for those who do not seem to experience particular inequality or discrimination.

IMPACT is currently undertaking specific inequalities research, funded by NHSEI, in the context of the ATS service it is piloting. Information on the findings, recommendations and actions for improvement will be published here when available.