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The North of England has been ‘worst hit’ by the coronavirus pandemic
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A study has revealed that the north has been hit harder than the rest of England in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Northern Health Science Alliance, who completed the study, found that 12.4 more people per 100,000 population died with Covid-19 in the area of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ between March and July than anywhere else in the country.
The study factored in deprivation, ethnicity and the age structure of the population and the findings showed mortality rate in the Northern Powerhouse region was worse than elsewhere in the country.
The Northern Powerhouse dates back to the 2010-15 coalition government’s plan to boost the economic growth of the North of England, in particular the ‘core’ cities: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield and Newcastle.
The Northern Powerhouse area had an extra 57.7 people per 100,000 of the population dying between March and July.
The study was led by scientists from the Universities of Newcastle, Manchester, York and Liverpool who estimated that the increased mortality in Northern England would cost the economy £6.86bn. The mental health impact on the region would cost about £5bn a year.
The report explained that since the start of the pandemic, adverse trends in poverty education, employment and mental health for children and young people had worsened. It also pointed out that pre-pandemic child health – which is a key predictor in life-long health and economic productivity – was poor and deteriorating in the Northern Powerhouse.
Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, Clare Bambra said the report ‘highlights that we are not all in the pandemic together with the northern regions being hardest hit’
She added: “Health and wealth in the Northern Powerhouse lagged behind the rest of the country even before the [Covid-19] pandemic, and over the last year our significant regional inequalities have been exacerbated.”
Hannah Davies from the Northern Health Science Alliance said: “Health inequalities between the North and the rest of England have been growing for over a decade.
“This report demonstrates the impact that has had on the productivity of the region and how it has led Covid-19 to take a devastating grip on the North.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it remained ‘determined to level up on health outcomes as well as opportunity’, with its £30bn plan for jobs scheme for the UK as well as its £170m funding ‘to help families stay warm and well fed this winter’, and increases in Universal Credit.
They added: “Throughout the pandemic we have worked hand-in-hand with local authorities and over £300m has already been allocated to local authorities in England to help them stop the spread of the virus in their communities.”
The report provided 12 recommendations to the government to ‘level-up’ the country, including:
- More regional resources in the Northern Powerhouse region to boost the NHS Test and Trace system
- Targeting vulnerable and deprived communities in the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout
- Reducing child poverty by increasing child benefit, extending free childcare and free school meals and more investment in children’s services
Dr Luke Munford, Lecturer in Health Economics at University of Manchester, said: “The findings in this report reaffirm the results of our earlier analyses that showed the inextricable link between health and wealth.
“The Northern Powerhouse, on average, has been hit harder by COVID-19 than the rest of England in terms of both health and wealth outcomes.
“We cannot get away from their interconnectedness. The fact that these regional inequalities persist even after we account for deprivation and other known determinants means that there are other factors at play.
“These regional inequalities need to be addressed fast, or we risk letting the Northern Powerhouse fall further behind. A sensible place to start would be improving the health of people living in the Northern Powerhouse.”