Overview of the report
Produced by Revealing Reality and commissioned by the Taskforce on Multiple Conditions the report You only had to ask: What people with multiple conditions say about health equity marks the culmination of three years of the Taskforce’s work and represent its final output.
Our starting point for this work was the recognition that the burden of multiple conditions is unevenly distributed. Evidence show that those people living in the most deprived areas are developing conditions on average 10-15 years earlier than those living in the least[1]. As leading charities, we wanted to better understand the lived experiences of some of those people who are overrepresented in the headline statistics, but routinely underrepresented in policy discussions.
To inform the report, a rapid evidence review was conducted into the literature on health inequalities and multiple long-term conditions in December 2020. The research for the report itself focused on four areas of England containing communities on low incomes, people from minority ethnic groups and people living in both urban and rural environments. It combines the insights of the professionals and services working in those places with those of the people living there. These areas are: Stockwell in South London, Manningham and Toller in Bradford, Balsall Heath East and Sparkbrook in Birmingham and North Ormesby in Middlesbrough.
At the heart of this work are the powerful and compelling stories of eight people who shared detailed insights into how they manage their own health, their own views and experiences of how well health and social care services have worked for them, and how they would really like to be supported. From ambitious data analyst Bekele, a 26-year-old man of British Somali heritage, to Vera, a 74-year-old retired cleaner, mother of eight and migrant from Portugal, the participants in this report have rich histories to share and their stories bring vividly to life the challenges they have faced before and during the pandemic.
Identifying a series of key questions and opportunities for change, this work is designed to support and shape the plans and actions of everyone responsible for the delivery of health and care services alongside others who can make a difference for people with multiple conditions.
Read The Richmond Group of Charities’ response to this report and recommendations for policymakers here
[1] Health Foundation (2018a)
Caroline Abrahams is Charity Director at Age UK where she oversees all the charity’s influencing and charity marketing/Brand activities. She is also the charity’s lead spokesperson.
She has been at Age UK for 5 years having previously worked in the voluntary sector, for the Local Government Association, as a senior civil servant and adviser in Government and Opposition.