We are living in a society already crippled by the cost of living crisis and it appears we have now descended into an equally troubling health crisis.
As individuals struggle to make ends meet, healthcare has fallen down the list of priorities for many.
A survey in 2024 among consultant doctors highlighted that 55 per cent of consultants surveyed felt that they had seen patients whose ill health was secondary to poor social and economic factors.
One year on, are we any better off? The answer is a resounding no, and it seems that the trend is here to stay.
An impact assessment published by the Department for Work and Pensions outlined that an estimated 3.2 million people would be financially worse off.
In real terms, this means that an additional 250,000 people will be pushed into relative poverty by 2029-2030.
Unsurprisingly, relative luxuries such as gym memberships and dental care are the first to be ticked off people’s budgeting lists.
Individuals are resorting to working longer hours to combat rising costs, with 31 per cent of people reported to be seeking extra hours and shifts at work. Cumulatively, this results in poorer health outcomes.
Scabies is a rare parasitic skin infection typically associated with individuals living in conditions of squalor and overcrowding.
GPs, however, are now reporting rising cases. Similarly, in 2022, there were 177 confirmed cases of scurvy, which is indicative of prolonged and severe vitamin deficiencies.
Scurvy is a disease caused by distinct malnutrition, common amongst those who consume fewer fruits and vegetables.
In 2024, 11,000 people were admitted with malnutrition-related health concerns, a clear extrapolation of a worrying trend.
It appears that we are regressing to levels of food insecurity and poverty which were prevalent in previous decades.
In the 21st century, we are serving a population which is descending into a ‘Victorian-era’ health crisis.
While balancing the books is, of course, the right approach to take for the economy, to do so at the expense of low- and middle-income households will only amplify this detrimental trend of health poverty.
