Health and Wellbeing Board	22 November 2023
Report on the Health Impacts of the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Summary

This report provides an update to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) regarding the update of the Report on the Health Impacts of the Cost-of-Living Crisis undertaken by the York Population Health Hub.

1. Background

The Population Health Hub (PHH) is a multi-organisation group which brings together colleagues from the local authority, health, public health, and business intelligence to enable, analyse and undertake population health management approaches in York.  The aim of this work is to provide a clearer picture of the health of the population and the inequalities people face and use this data to drive more effective use of shrinking resources.

In the context of growing winter pressures and the cost-of-living crisis, the PHH has produced a second volume of its cost-of-living data pack (the first was originally produced in winter 2022) to provide an update to date picture about people in York whose health is likely to be affected by the cost-of-living crisis, for instance through cold weather / cold homes. This report complements the recently published 'Health and the cost-of-living in York' Healthwatch report which outlines citizen's lived experiences of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-32 makes clear the link between the gap in healthy life expectancy within our city and the 'buildings blocks of health', such as housing, the economy and poverty.

2. Overview of the report

The report brings together key local health data which highlights the health impacts of the cost-of-living crisis already observed in the city. Data presented in the report includes trends and characteristics of physical and mental health developed from last year’s report, and an examination of other factors contributing to the wider determinants of health drawing from data provided by organisations including Citizens Advice York and Healthwatch.

Whilst experiencing lower levels of deprivation than surrounding areas of the North of England, York has several geographical pockets of deep need observed in wards such as Westfield, Clifton and Hull Road (but at an individual level spread out through the city). In addition, the threshold at which people are being brought into levels of economic stress and poverty is getting lower as inflation and the cost-of-living impacts, with York experiencing particular issues around its affordability ratio and the effect of high housing costs. The wider determinants of health (social, economic & environmental factors) that impact on people’s health are frequently referred to in public health and health services when looking to target and reduce health inequalities, and several areas are worsening nationally and locally. During the cost-of-living crisis many people have indicated that their health has been negatively affected (Goddard, 2022).

Representatives of the York Population Health Hub will be in attendance at the November meeting to provide key headlines from the report, and the report will be published on the York Population Health Hub's website here.

City of York Council hosted a Cost-of-Living Summit in 2022 and from this is leading work to mitigate and protect those most of risk during the current economic pressures.

3. Recommendations

Members of the HWB Board are asked to:

• Note and discuss the contents of the report;

• Disseminate the findings and support available in York to local services and practitioners in York.

 Reason: So that findings and support in York is available to local services and practitioners.

Contact Details

Author: Anna Basilico, Head of Population Health and Partnerships, Humber, and North Yorkshire ICB (York Place)	Chief Officer Responsible for the report: Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health, City of York Council
Report Approved	ü	Date	13 November 2023
Report Approved	ü	Date	13 November 2023
Wards Affected:  List wards affected or tick box to indicate all [most reports presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board will affect all wards in the city – however there may be times that only a specific area is affected and this should be made clear]					All	ü
For further information please contact the author of the report