Action on health inequality

Financial support has been provided to the Royal College of Physicians as a grant from Pfizer Ltd.

Action on health inequalities - Part 1

Dr Ruw Abeyratne, Dr Katie Malbon and Dr Aicha Bouraoui discuss how enhanced training in the social determinants of health can help medics and other healthcare professionals provide more inclusive, patient-centred care. They also discuss what tools are needed to continue their development.

Dr Katie Malbon

A consultant paediatrician and clinical director at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust

Dr Aicha Bouraoui

A clinical research fellow in adolescent rheumatology and an ST7 in rheumatology and general internal medicine. Read more here

Dr Ruw Abeyratne

Ruw is a consultant in geriatric and general medicine. She is University Hospitals of Leicester's (UHL) director of health equality and inclusion and is accountable for the trust’s approach to understanding and addressing health inequalities within the local population. This includes improving access to elective and non-elective care, ensuring that restoration of services is inclusive and equitable. Read more here

Action on health inequalities - Part 2

Part 2: In this session, two trainees and a medical student discuss health inequalities in the context of their training. They talk about current educational practices and how the next generation of healthcare professionals will undergo generalist training.

Rosie – An SD3 (Specialty Doctor Year 3) in paediatrics working in North London, with interests in health inequalities, adolescent health, and safeguarding.

Josie – A final-year medical student at St. George’s University in South London, particularly engaged in curriculum development and student-led initiatives related to social determinants of health.

McKayla – A junior doctor working at University College Hospital, with an undergraduate degree from Newcastle University and a medical degree earned abroad. She shares insights from both academic and early clinical perspectives.

Published

22 April 2025

About

This is a two part series: Part 1: Dr Ruw Abeyratne, Dr Katie Malbon and Dr Aicha Bouraoui discuss how enhanced training in the social determinants of health can help medics and other healthcare professionals provide more inclusive, patient-centred care. They also discuss what tools are needed to continue their development. Part 2: In this session, two trainees and a medical student discuss health inequalities in the context of their training. They talk about current educational practices and how the next generation of healthcare professionals will undergo generalist training.

Further resources

Health inequalities in the NHS: Prevalence, Effects, and Clinical Interventions

In this video, chair Dr Ruw Abeyratne is joined by Dr Aicha Bouraoui and Dr Katie Malbon to explore health inequalities and raise awareness of health inequalities in the NHS

All Together Fairer: Addressing health inequity in Cheshire and Merseyside

Cheshire and Merseyside has been a Marmot Place since 2021, committed to reducing health inequalities by addressing the social determinants of health

Webinar: Health equity: from theory to implementation

Dr Ruw Abeyratne, Dr Guddi Singh and Dr Partha Kar on how health inequality affects patients with long term conditions.