During the debate on the King’s Speech in the House of Lords on Friday 19th July, Bishop Sarah delivered a speech on ‘Creating Opportunities: Education, Early Years and Healthcare’ in the House of Lords.

My Lords, it is an honour to respond to the gracious speech, and I too welcome the noble lady the Minister as she joins us at the dispatch box. I would also like to thank Baroness Jolly for her contribution to this house, not just on health and social care but to those of us who are female bishops, thank you very much for your support.  

I welcome many of the Government’s healthcare announcements, especially the two public health legislation measures. I am very glad to see the Tobacco and Vapes Bill continued – smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and follows the lines of inequality, and bringing forward this bill will be a significant step forward for our public health agenda.  

The announcement that the government will legislate to restrict the advertising of junk food to children, and the sale of high caffeine energy drinks is also welcome – as we have heard obesity is one of the major health challenges that we face, the impacts of which are also hugely unequal.

The commitment to update the Mental Health Act is long overdue. Mind reminds us that Black people are 4 times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people, and more than 11 times more likely to be subject to a community treatment order. People living in areas of high deprivation are more than 3 and a half times more likely to be detained than those in the least deprived areas. I hope that in its reform, the government will pay attention to these inequalities.

We now have a much better understanding of what contributes to health and wellbeing and therefore I welcome many of the announcements which will provide contribution to healthy lives of individuals but also our communities, such as for housing and education  and the commitment to ban conversion practices is long overdue. The measures in the employment rights bill, especially the changes to the Statutory Sick Pay system are also key; taking time off when we are ill is vital to our recovery and our ongoing participation at work in our communities. I also hope that the government will use the expanded scope of the national curriculum to promote key life skills such as making financial education a component of PSHE curriculum at Key Stage 1 and 2 as recommended by many of the financial literacy charities.

My work in and out of the health service has led me to believe with increasing certainty that if we are to reduce health inequalities, and relieve the burden on the NHS, faith groups must be involved. Faith observance is often highest in the most deprived areas. This means that faith leaders have the potential to provide vital insight and access to those communities that are the least likely to access preventative healthcare. These faith leaders hold deep trust within their communities; they are valuable partners for improving the health of their community. Ensuring that culturally competent services are available to everyone who requires them is vital if this government is to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy. I hope that this government will build on the work already being done in this area.

It is disappointing however, that there is not a single mention of social care in the gracious speech. The Government acknowledges that, “the sector needs deep reform”. We have an ageing population with more acute and complex needs; people with care and support needs unsupported as they seek to navigate a complex system; higher costs for councils at a time of restricted budgets; unpaid carers providing for their loved ones, sometimes at the expense of their own health, wellbeing and work.

The Government’s manifesto commitment to create a National Care Service is laudable but requires action. We need a long-term funding settlement for local authorities, and a workforce plan for the sector. I fear that without such measures, we will not achieve a positive vision of social care, forsocial care is never an end in itself, but the means by which we can live lives of joy, fulfilment and purpose and also contribute to the economic recovery of this country.

I regret, too, the absence of palliative care from the gracious speech. The reliance on charitable donations means that end of life care and provision varies depending on the affluence of its area. The cost of care is not being met; services are being reduced. In the midst of growing conversations about the alternative options at the end of life, it is imperative that we properly fund palliative care.

Every person we talk about in this chamber is immensely valuable, for we all bear the image of God. I look forward to working with Noble Lords across this Chamber to ensure that people who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of health inequalities are at the forefront of our thinking.