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Managing health inequalities locally: a baseline survey of primary care trusts' experience with health equity audit in the implementation year

Aspinall, Peter J., Jacobson, Bobbie (2005) Managing health inequalities locally: a baseline survey of primary care trusts' experience with health equity audit in the implementation year. Health Services Management Research, 18 (4). pp. 223-231. ISSN 0951-4848. (doi:10.1258/095148405774518606) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:5612)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/095148405774518606

Abstract

Health equity audit (HEA), a pragmatic policy tool to ensure that services and resources are focused on issues that have the highest impact on health inequalities, has now become embedded in the national strategy to tackle these inequalities through a new mandatory requirement that primary care trusts (PCTs) conduct one such audit annually. This study aimed to assess their experience through a national baseline survey in 2004, all PCTs (n = 303) being electronically mailed a questionnaire with non-respondent follow-up. Replies were received from 132 PCTs (44%), a representative sample of PCT diversity, most of whom had completed only a few steps in the audit cycle. Audit topics (most frequently coronary heart disease, smoking cessation, and access issues) and dimensions of inequity (mainly area and deprivation) were agreed through only limited engagement with local strategic partnerships. Local public health networks and multiagency teams were infrequent partners in undertaking the HEA. Most PCTs wanted comparator data, good practice examples, and specific methodological expertise. While significant progress has been made, this survey shows only limited use of HEA as a tool for multisectoral use by PCTs in partnership with others and a focus on intra-PCT comparisons at the expense of those with a wider pool of 'look-a-likes'.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1258/095148405774518606
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User: Paula Loader
Date Deposited: 30 Sep 2008 13:02 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:43 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/5612 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Aspinall, Peter J..

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