A new report, entitled ‘Reducing health inequalities in Luton: A Marmot Town’, emphasises how ill health starts in childhood and tracks throughout life, placing tens of thousands of people in preventable ill health and poverty.

While the Bedfordshire town of Luton has many strategies for reducing inequalities and improving health for poorer children in schools, it’s anticipated that the severe situation this winter regarding the spiralling cost of living will damage health and widen health inequalities.

In the years 2017-19, before the Covid-19 pandemic, life expectancy at birth in Luton was, on average, more than one year less than the average for men in England of 79 years, and about eight months less for women (83).

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows there’s also wide differences in life expectancy within the town itself. Those who live in the more deprived areas are predicted to die around eight years before those in affluent areas.

Dr Jessica Allen, deputy director of the IHE, said: “These stark differences in health and life expectancy begin in the early years of life. Luton lags behind the national average in some important areas, with higher infant mortality rates and more child poverty. Without a good start in life these children are more likely to have unstable work, live in poor-quality housing, and not have enough money to lead a healthy life.”

On the positive side, however, she suggested that Luton is well-placed to become a Marmot town. These are places that work towards implementing the ‘Marmot Principles’ – which include early years development, employment, living standards, communities, ill-health prevention, discrimination, and environmental sustainability – to create communities where everybody has an opportunity to thrive.

Dr Allen noted that Luton benefited from “a thriving and vibrant voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, a resilient economy, and no shortage of the ambition and leadership needed to put health equity at the top of the agenda”. She added: “It has some important plans for change including the Luton 2020-40 plan, the Fairness Taskforce and becoming a child-friendly town.”

Luton Borough Council is partnering with the IHE to help Luton achieve Marmot Town ‘status’ to reduce these avoidable health inequalities. The town is joining a growing number of ‘Marmot Places’, which includes cities and regions across the country, such as Manchester, Coventry, and Cheshire & Merseyside.

“Across England, between 2010 and 2020, life expectancy slowed and actually fell for people living in deprived areas,” commented Dr Allen. “It’s likely as a result of the policies of austerity, which led to significant financial cuts. While Luton does well on some measures, such as education for more deprived children, unfortunately, health will get significantly worse in Luton . . . as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Our partnership with Luton will help orientate Luton in the right direction to be a healthy town – and build on the strong leadership and appetite to do this.

“But it has to be accompanied by significant national government intervention if we’re to prevent the humanitarian crisis of poverty.”