Plymouth NHS funding must be adjusted to fix 'health inequality'

People in Plymouth live two years less than people in other parts of Devon

Plymouth NHS funding must be adjusted to fix 'health inequality' in the city compared to the rest of the county, says Councillor Tudor Evans. People in Plymouth live two years less than people in Devon, figures show.

Now Councillor Evans has demanded that NHS Devon reviews the way in which health funding is allocated to Plymouth, to "urgently address health inequality across the city", a situation that he says has been exacerbated following more than a decade of NHS underfunding, Councillor Evans said.

Men in Plymouth live 2.3 years less than in Devon and woman live 2.5 years less. Locally, levels of under 75 mortality, due to causes that are considered entirely preventable, are 16% higher than the rest of England, and 52% higher than Devon.

in a statement, Councillor Evans said: "Currently funding is allocated across the county by Devon ICB. The ICB is a body that aims to join up health and care services and make sure that everyone has the same access to services and gets the same outcomes from treatment.

"They oversee how money is spent and make sure health services work well and are of high quality. The Devon ICB use a model called ‘Fair Shares Funding’."

The Leader of Plymouth City Council is urging the ICB to review this process as he says it does not take enough account of deprivation and inequality in health outcomes in Plymouth when compared to other parts of Devon. For the past few years, the council has been lobbying the ICB to relook at the funding and reassess the position of the city.

However, so far discussions have not resulted in a viable solution. Councillor Evans is therefore now insisting on a proper board level review.

Councillor Evans said: “We know that finances are tight. But, the priority has to be making sure that the money available is distributed to the right places, where there is the most need.

"We know of areas in Devon where the need is less, yet funding is available to them – is the ICB favouring those who know how to use the system and leaving behind those who don’t or won’t?

"There are people of Plymouth who cannot get a GP appointment, who cannot get an NHS dentist, who are missing out on treatment and are being put at unnecessary risk due to the lack of patient care and prevention services.

“We know there are demands across the region – but we are Devon’s biggest city and our services are stretched beyond belief with no relief in sight. ICBs have the autonomy to determine their own spending based on local need and the power to ‘over allocate’ funding to address poor health outcomes.

"Outcomes that in Plymouth are driven by deprivation and deep-seated health inequality which will have been worsened by more than a decade of underfunding. So far, the ICB have not been able to suggest any way forward that would result in a change in Plymouth. It is morally right that this review takes place and is given the serious consideration that it needs.”

A spokesperson for NHS Devon, said: “We share Councillor Evans’ passion for allocating resources across the system equitably to address health inequalities across Plymouth and the rest of Devon.

“To ensure a fair allocation of funding across the county, we have established a planned trajectory for achieving what the NHS refers to as ‘fair shares’ over the next four years.

“Using the national NHS England formula, which takes into account deprivation and inequality in health outcomes, we allocate the ‘fair share’ of funding for each area of Devon, including Plymouth.

“Using this formula, Devon is shown to be receiving £109.5 million more than its weighted capitation allocation of NHS resources in 2024/25. For Plymouth, this equates to £23.1 million over allocation, or 4.1%.

“We remain committed to working with Plymouth City Council and our other partners to improve services and reduce inequalities for our local population.”

Join PlymouthLive's WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone

PlymouthLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us. Once you sign up for our updates, we'll send the latest breaking news and biggest stories of the day straight to your phone.

To join our community, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select 'Join Community'.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the PlymouthLive team.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to join our WhatsApp community.