A tool to tackle equity-related and inequality issues at work and in health services has been developed by Public Health England for healthcare professionals.
According to PHE, people who live in the least deprived areas benefit from 20 years more of good health than those in more deprived areas, and Covid-19 has exacerbated these inequalities.
HEAT, the Health Equity Assessment Tool, is recommended for healthcare professionals who can talk about equity to the communities they serve or stakeholders or service providers.
HEAT aims to provide a clear and understandable way for professionals to tackle inequalities. It can be adapted and embedded into a range of different work programmes and services. The tool also encourages repeat reviews over a period of time to consider lessons learnt and areas to focus on.