The Department of Health's strategy of reducing health inequalities gap by 10% by 2010, as measured by life expectancy at birth, has proved to be way off target.
The department's strategy, published in 2003, lacked effective mechanisms to achieve the target because the evidence base was still being developed, said the National Audit Office (NAO) in a report published today.
It was not until 2006-07 that the strategy was matched by focused action to tackle health inequalities, leaving little time for these actions to have an impact before the 2010 target date, it said.
Following a report on how competition makes hospital more efficient, the NAO report shows having set a target in 2000 to reduce health inequalities, it took time to embed the issue in the policy and planning framework of the NHS and to develop an evidence base of the most cost-effective interventions.
However the spending watchdog did find that more recently the improved take-up of these interventions is likely to have improved value for money.
The NAO report found that, although life expectancy overall has increased, the gap in life expectancy between the national average and the government's dedicated "spearhead" areas has continued to widen.
From Flip Chart Fairy Tales
From Bubb's Blog
