Rachel Flowers, Croydon’s director of public health, has highlighted local health inequalities and made raft of recommendations to “narrow the gap” to improve residents’ health at every life stage.
But the report finds that the pandemic, together with the cost of living crisis, has widened already existing health inequalities through factors such as missed schooling, increased food insecurity – put simply, whether people are able to afford to eat – and poorer mental health, including for front-line health workers themselves.
As a borough, Croydon has widespread areas of significant social deprivation, with large parts among the country’s 20per cent most deprived areas. Some smaller areas, mainly around Thornton Heath, have been measured as being in the 5per cent most deprived areas of the whole country.
Flowers’ report finds several troubling statistics which impact the borough’s diverse population, including that black women are on average four times more likely to die in childbirth than their white neighbours.
Homelessness, and the high number of children forced to live in temporary accommodation in Croydon, whether as asylum seekers or because of other housing issues, brings with it damaging health implications that can stay with individuals throughout their life.
According to the report, “Homeless children, particularly those under five years old, are more vulnerable to common childhood illnesses, missing key developmental milestones, and behavioural and emotional difficulties.”
In March 2022, there were 1,988 households in Croydon in temporary accommodation; 1,423 of the households had dependent children; 2,710 of Croydon’s children were living in temporary accommodation.
Deprivation: the director of health’s annual report highlights the relative poverty that is encountered right across Croydon
Flowers sets out how the council, its partners and communities need to tackle health inequalities, through measures such as improved mental health support for pregnant women and a new trauma-informed training programme.
Recommendations for action include:
- Helping all parents to access antenatal care early on in their pregnancy
- Boosting breastfeeding support and promoting healthy eating for young children
- Tackling unconscious bias and discrimination
- Co-producing a plan with Croydon’s youth council to address inequalities
- Working with partner agencies to tackle drug and alcohol misuse, and domestic violence
- Supporting adults with mental health through successful initiatives like the Mental Health First Aiders
- Combating loneliness and social isolation among older people.
“In highlighting the health inequalities that exist in our borough, my intention is to inspire us all to take collective action to make Croydon a fairer place – as a partnership and as individuals,” Flowers said.
Detailed report: Rachel Flowers
“We need to build on some of the very good work already being done in Croydon’s communities, with the council and partners working at a strategic level and all of us doing what we can to help.
“There are little things we can all do, from encouraging a pregnant friend to take up all the help and support available; to becoming a Mental Health First Aider – or even just knocking on the neighbours’ door to check they are ok.
“This year my report is a call to action for all of us – together we can and will make a difference.”
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