Overview

• Scabies cases in England rose by 73% in the year leading to April 2024, with 3,689 hospital diagnoses linked to poor housing and poverty.
• Nearly 90% of surveyed doctors report concerns over the impact of health inequalities on patients, citing damp housing, food insecurity, and air pollution as key factors.
• Doctors highlight rising cases of hypothermia caused by unaffordable heating and chronic respiratory illnesses linked to damp and cold living conditions.
• The Royal College of Physicians calls for a cross-government strategy to address social determinants of health, warning of a projected increase of 2.5 million major illness cases by 2040.
• The UK government reiterates its commitment to halving the gap in healthy life expectancy through its 'Plan for Change,' though implementation details remain unclear.