Bishop of London calls on government to tackle health inequalities after Covid

The government must address “growing health inequalities” in British communities as part of its response to the first report of the UK Covid-19 inquiry, said the Bishop of London, the Most Reverend Sarah Mullally.

The report by Baroness Hallett, the chair of the inquiry, was published in July and focuses on the UK’s resilience and preparedness in the face of a global pandemic. Further reports on other areas, including health systems, vaccines, the economic response and children and young people, are due to be published.

“I question whether we have truly and fully understood the impact of health inequalities during the pandemic,” Bishop Mullally said in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening during a debate on the government’s response to the inquiry.

“We have all been affected, but not to the same extent. … What actions is the government taking to address the growing health inequalities in our communities, not just in anticipation of future pandemics, but now?”

Trust in the NHS has been damaged by the inequalities exposed during the crisis, she said. In her own research, she had come across cases of “culturally incompetent care”, including a “Sikh man in Southall who had suffered a stroke and was unable to speak, whose moustache and beard were cut off without the permission or consent of his family.”

“It was deeply offensive and after investigation it turned out there was no medical reason for it.”

In addition, there is “a lack of understanding on the part of the legal authorities of the provisions that religious communities have made for their congregations for generations,” she said.

Faith communities have rightly been identified as key partners in a crisis, the bishop continued, in part because of their involvement in vaccine rollouts and health campaigns; but “that engagement has not been sustained. Building relationships in a moment of crisis is not the way to build resilient and connected communities. … If we are to make serious and sustained efforts to address health inequalities, faith communities must be included.”

Bishop Mullally asked what progress the government was making in working with religious groups, “not just in times of crisis but also in the long term.” She concluded by calling for “serious reform” of social care.

Responding to the four-hour debate, Baroness Merron thanked everyone for their contributions on the topic of ‘Inequalities and the Consequences of Inequalities’.

And although the bishop did not mention death and burials in her speech, Baroness Merron said she recognised “the reverend Prelate’s concerns about the issues surrounding how death and burials are dealt with, and the pain and distress caused by the inadequate treatment of the deceased. The Government would be very happy to work with community and faith groups on the resilience review so that we can get this and other things right in the future.”

Among the Conservative peers who took part in the debate was Lord Frost, who argued that the successful implementation of a future learning system would require a cultural change in society.

He said: “Most representatives of civil society, trade unions and faith communities – including the Church of England – pushed for the most risk-averse policies possible. All other political parties pushed for more and stricter lockdowns, more home working, more public money and more debt.”

The current Prime Minister warned in July 2021 that lifting all restrictions would have “fatal consequences”. Lord Frost said: “That never happened. Not for the first time and probably not for the last time, he has turned out to be talking nonsense.”

According to government death reports at the time, 2,989 people died from coronavirus in August 2021 – compared to 1,591 in July 2021.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe also mentioned religious groups, saying they were “also important, although I was personally very saddened by the closure of churches during the first lockdown.”