COVID-19 has exposed existing health inequalities in London. Black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) Londoners and poorer Londoners are more likely to catch COVID-19, are likely to experience a higher level of sickness, and have a higher chance of dying from the virus.
London’s healthcare system has been hit by the pandemic, underlining long-term issues like staff shortages, shift patterns and staff wellbeing. Longstanding unequal access to healthcare has also been highlighted as a key issue.
The Health Committee will tomorrow explore the health inequalities uncovered by the pandemic across the capital, and identify what lessons must be learned for the future. The guests are:
Panel A:
- Dr Tom Coffey OBE, Mayoral Health Advisor
- Professor Kevin Fenton, London Region Director, Public Health England
- Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology, University College London (UCL), and Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity
- Mehrunisha Suleman, Senior Research Fellow, The Health Foundation
Panel B:
- Dr Tom Coffey OBE, Mayoral Health Advisor
- Lisa Elliott, London Regional Director, Royal College of Nursing
- Martin Machray, NHS Incident Director and Joint Chief Nurse, NHS London Region
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 16 March 2021 from 10am. In line with Government advice, this meeting will take place virtually.
Media and members of the public can watch the meeting live here.
Notes to editors
- Full agenda papers.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact the media team on 07849 308 317. For out-of-hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the City Hall on 020 7983 4000.