Doctors in England have raised concerns over a rise in Victorian diseases, such as scabies, and growing health inequalities caused by poor-quality housing, air pollution and access to transport.
A survey of 882 doctors by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found nearly 90% were concerned about the impact of health inequalities on their patients, while 46% said that at least half of their workload involved illnesses linked to social factors, like poor housing, education, and employment.
One doctor told The Independent he had seen a number of patients over the past three months with diseases that were common in the Victorian era, such as scabies.
According to NHS figures, the disease is on the rise. There were 3 689 scabies cases diagnosed in hospitals in England in the year to April 2024, marking a 73% rise on the previous year, when there were 2 128 cases recorded.
“Poor uptake of screening programmes further exacerbates health inequalities. Patients struggling with unstable employment or financial hardship often delay seeking medical help, leading to more severe illness by the time they reach us,” he said.
The RCP has called on the government to detail how it will people’s health, prevent avoidable illness and reduce pressure on the wider NHS.
There have also been cases of patients with hypothermia, due to patients being unable to afford heating, it said.
Dr John Dean, clinical vice-president of the RCP, said: “The UK Government came into office promising bold action on the things that make us ill in the first place. Now it must set out the detail of its health mission and how the mission delivery board will tackle the root causes of ill-health such as poor housing, employment, tobacco, obesity and air quality.”
He said 2.5m more people in England were predicted to be living with a major illness by 2040, adding that there was “no time to waste”.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Through our Plan for Change, the government will tackle head-on the appalling healthcare inequalities within our systems.
“One of our core priorities is to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Mass drug administration reduces scabies cases
Speed up public health decisions on scabies by skipping full-body exams