Professor Sir Michael Marmot joins Mayor Driscoll, Sir Nigel Wilson, and leaders from across the region to improve health equality
On Monday 20 June, internationally renowned epidemiologist Professor Sir Michael Marmot led a roundtable with the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Metro Mayor Jamie Driscoll, supported by Legal & General’s Sir Nigel Wilson, to discuss how the public sector and business can improve people’s lives by reducing health inequality.
The roundtable brought together high-profile local leaders to discuss both the progress the region has made to reduce health inequality and targeted actions to continue this progress in future. Attendees included Dame Jackie Daniel (Chief Executive at Newcastle Hospitals), Dr Henry Kippin (CEO of North of Tyne CA), and key leaders from the industry and the public sector.
The UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE), in partnership with Legal & General, launched The Business of Health Equity: The Marmot Review for Industry, setting out ways in which business can improve people’s lives by reducing health inequality.
The North of Tyne roundtable marks the first place Sir Michael and the partnership have visited since IHE launched the report.
The study found that, by improving the health of their employees, employers benefit from a more productive workforce. It has been estimated, for example, 30% of the shortfall in productivity in the Northern Powerhouse compared with the rest of England is due to ill health.