Health Inequalities

The Health Inequalities Programme helps healthcare professionals understand why some groups still have worse health and poorer experiences of NHS care. The programme explains what health inequalities are, why they happen, and how healthcare teams can help reduce these unfair and avoidable differences. The course also shows how quality improvement approaches can support action in day-to-day clinical practice.

Intended audience

This elearning is for all healthcare professionals who want to improve equity in care. It is suitable for staff working in any clinical setting, including community services, primary care, hospital teams and public health roles.

Key areas covered

Across the programme, learners will explore:

• What health inequalities are and how they affect people’s lives
• The main causes of differences in health, access, experience and outcomes
• How deprivation, background and lived experience impact health
• The role of the healthcare professional in tackling inequalities
• How to use quality improvement methods to narrow gaps in care
• Examples of how inequalities show up in specific conditions and communities

Learning objectives

By the end of this programme, learners will be able to:

• Understand the importance of recognising and addressing health inequalities
• Identify the causes of unequal services, experiences or outcomes
• Reflect on how their own practice can help reduce unfair differences in care
• Apply quality improvement methods to design actions that improve equity