Responding to the launch of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"OHID's launch marks a key opportunity for the government to make good on its commitments to address health inequalities and to improve people's quality of life.

"A strong partnership between different parts of health and care is vital if we are to make tangible progress on tackling the root causes of health inequalities in our society, which have been brutally exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We hope that OHID, working with integrated care systems (ICSs) and offering cross-government support, will play a leading role in helping the NHS make progress in tackling health inequalities.

"Trust leaders will look to OHID to provide expert advice, to gather data and evidence so that decisions to improve health are more informed, effective and joined up, and reflect the wide range of factors which impact on people's health.

"As we outlined in our new briefing, Health inequalities: a core concern earlier this week, tackling health inequalities will be 'front of mind' for trust leaders. They will need support as they focus on health equalities and so it is encouraging that the national policy framework is increasingly aligned to supporting them and their partners to prioritise health inequalities, not only now but in the future."