UK: Doctors urge govt to fight poverty as Victorian disease patients increase

Doctors have reported an increase in patients suffering from Victorian-era diseases like scabies.

The Royal College of Physicians is now calling for stronger government action to combat poverty.

A survey of 882 doctors found that 89% were concerned about the effects of health inequalities on their patients.

Additionally, 72% had seen more cases in the past three months linked to poor-quality housing, air pollution, and limited access to transport.

The Royal College of Physicians reported that 46% of respondents said at least half of their workload involved illnesses tied to social factors.

One doctor noted treating patients with two Victorian skin diseases, erysipelas and scabies, in recent months.

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Another reported seeing more cases of “poor nutritional status due to poverty,” leading to “prolonged and impaired recovery from acute illnesses.”

Scabies, a highly contagious condition caused by mites, results in an itchy rash.

It spreads through close skin contact and requires swift treatment to prevent further transmission.

Several patients had been diagnosed with hypothermia. One doctor attributed this to an inability to afford heating at home.

The Royal College of Physicians has urged the government to outline how its health mission will tackle these conditions.

Dr Ash Bassi, a consultant gastroenterologist in Prescot, Merseyside, stated that doctors frequently see patients whose conditions “are worsened by damp and cold housing, where respiratory illnesses become chronic conditions.”

Bassi added: “We see the impact of food insecurity, where poor nutrition contributes to long-term health complications.

“Poor uptake of screening programmes further exacerbates health inequalities.

“Patients struggling with unstable employment or financial hardship often delay seeking medical help, leading to more severe illness by the time they reach us.”

Dr John Dean, clinical vice-president of the Royal College of Physicians, stressed the urgency of government action.

He said, “The UK government came into office promising bold action on the things that make us ill in the first place.

“Now it must set out the detail of its health mission and how the mission delivery board will tackle the root causes of ill-health such as poor housing, employment, tobacco, obesity, and air quality.

“With over 2.5 million more people in England projected to be living with a major illness by 2040, there is no time to waste.

“We need assurances that improving health and tackling health inequalities remain a priority.

“Everything from the places we live to the food we eat affects our health.

“Government must use its health mission delivery board to deliver a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities and address the social determinants of health.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care responded: “Through our plan for change, this government will tackle head on the appalling healthcare inequalities that exist within our systems.

“One of our core priorities is to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England.

“Our fundamental shift from sickness to prevention will play a vital role in tackling inequalities, making people healthier and reducing pressure on the NHS.”

(The Guardian)