North inequalities cost UK economy £7.3bn over first year of the pandemic
A new report published by the Northern Health Science Alliance today highlights the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the health and economy in the North of England. The report found that northerners were more likely to die from COVID-19, spent nearly a month and-a-half more in lockdowns, suffered worse mental health and were made poorer than the rest of England during the first year of the pandemic.
Dr Nicola Hutchinson, Chief Executive at the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria, said: “This report makes for uncomfortable reading but rightly highlights the devastating impact the pandemic has had on communities and the economy across the North, which cannot be ignored. The North East has suffered some of the worst death rates, our hospitals have experienced greater pressures, we’ve spent more time under tighter lockdown restrictions, unemployment rates are high and the mental health and wellbeing of people across the region has suffered as a result.
“There is so much good collaborative work taking place across the health and care landscape in North East and North Cumbria, and the wider North, to improve the health and economic prosperity of our region and there is a real opportunity to build on the strengths within the system as the country recovers from the pandemic. We welcome this important report which sets out clear, targeted recommendations that focus on tackling the growing health inequalities we face in the North.”