News

Racism is a public health issue. This has been undeniable since the advent of the health inequalities movement. Yet, the increasing traction of the Black Lives Matter protests and their juxtaposition with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought it to the forefront of the world’s imagination. In April, analysis by the Guardian found that 19% of patients who had died in hospital with COVID-19 were Black, Asian and…

Before all this (the big C word) kicked off I found myself sitting in London listening to a man I had long admired. In fact, I was sat in a rather grand hall in Westminster with Michael Marmot delivering his summary of the nation’s progress to addressing health inequalities over the last 10 years. Marmot’s report about fairer societies published 10 years ago had been the background and constant for…

A perspective for Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental Health Awareness Week has been accompanied by a cascade of newspaper reports and social media posts encouraging people to talk more openly about their mental health. Nurturing a society with positive attitudes towards their emotional wellbeing and a tendency to accept and support those around them who are struggling is invaluable. However, framing mental health issues in this way places the responsibility…

At the time of writing, COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 33,000 people in the UK. The wrath of health inequalities in the UK is still prevalent during these times and rules the life expectancy outcomes of the poor. The death rate in deprived areas is twice as high as in richer areas. People living in poorer areas are more likely to die of coronavirus because of a myriad…

The media focuses on rough sleepers, homeless beggars and the overall homeless crisis in Manchester. It is only more recent that hidden homelessness has become a talking point, particularly as families make up the numbers of hidden homelessness. From Manchester alone there are 1,500 families in dispersed housing located across other boroughs such as Oldham, Rochdale and Salford and there are over 100 families living in B&Bs. When presenting homeless…

Let me tell you about Jo…our Homeless Families Project Lead and her new adventure. Jo is fueled by passion for her community, for equality, and for positive change. After learning about a family’s story and their ongoing struggles in temporary accommodation, Jo’s passion was ignited and she started digging…. Through tireless working, Jo established there arecurrently 1200 homeless families in Manchester alone, an increase from 140 families, 2 years ago….

Being an asylum seeker means you are fleeing persecution – you are scared, often alone and vulnerable. You are staying in a place you probably know very little about, with people you don’t know, and with systems that feel inaccessible and terrifying. This week, I had the privilege of being part of the pilot Keeping Healthy course at an initial assessment centre for asylum seekers. This is where asylum seekers…