"The importance of having enough money cannot be ignored"

The healthy life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived parts of the UK is 19 years. The reasons for this are complex and money is just one part of the picture - the index of multiple deprivation also includes other determinants such as housing, employment and education. Yet, in many conversations I have about inequalities in health, 'deprivation' or 'disadvantage' are quickly translated into 'poverty'. While we mustn't lose sight of the other factors involved, the importance of having enough money cannot be ignored.