Indicators

Recently APHO published health inequality indicators for each English local authority, rather than at PCT level, as had previously been the case. Data covers the period 2005-9 and uses the slope index for inequality (SII) for life expectancy at birth. SII is a single figure which shows the gap between poorest and most well-off in each area. This is based on analysing the relationship between life expectancy and deprivation figures (using the Index of Multiple Deprivation) for the whole local authority. This way of presenting inequalities data at the level was proposed in the Public Health Outcomes Framework. SII has been widely used for sometime and is good at offering clear comparison between health of wealthiest and poorest.