In 2023 (the latest available data), life expectancy in the UK was 79 years for men and 82.9 years for women – among the lowest across comparable high income countries, with UK women ranking at the bottom of peer comparisons. 

The King’s Fund also notes that the UK’s gap with peers widened between 2019 and 2023, and that the UK has the highest rate of avoidable mortality (deaths that are preventable and treatable), more than 60% higher than Japan, Sweden and Australia.

It concludes that health inequalities are wide and have been widening since 2010, with more chronic conditions, more economic inactivity due to long-term sickness and more time spent in poorer health.  The King’s Fund is calling for bolder prevention and stronger action on the social determinants of health, beyond what it describes as the “weak ambitions of the government’s 10 Year Plan.” 

The Self-Care Forum’s chair, Helen Donovan agrees, “the King’s Fund is clear – the UK is falling behind on health and too many deaths are avoidable.  There’s no silver bullet.  To turn this around we need joined up action: health education built into the school curriculum, regular and consistent public health messages and every healthcare professional supported to make self-care part of everyday care, helping to reduce health inequalities.”