One of her patients, who has lymphoedema, a chronic condition causing swelling in limbs, moved out of inner-city Hull for health reasons only to find she lost the access to the lymphoedema service she had been using for two decades. She needs to go to York now, but has no easy way of getting there.
Meanwhile, the port city of Hull has its own problems with a big GP shortage. A 12 per cent fall drop in doctor numbers since 2016, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats that also show there are average of 2,805 patients per GP in the city. Whitehaven. Peter Higgins says GP surgeries are stretched to the brink including one practice in Whitehaven with three dcotors for 24,000 patients.
There was also a lack of social care providers in these areas, he said. That meant that older people couldn’t get the care they needed at home and got stuck in hospitals, or were forced to relocate from their homes in remote areas to where they could safely live. A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to levelling up the health of the nation so everyone can live longer, healthier lives, regardless of their location or background.
She says air pollution in the Victorian resort – hit by a busy shipping lane, the industrial coast of France, and proximity to Brighton and London – means she is unable to drive in the town with her car windows down or the air conditioning on.
Will be worth keeping an eye on this NIHRresearch funded study which aims to make a major contribution to addressing underdoctored areas Other nihr research exploring health disparities in coastal areas is also underway.