Tackling the cost of living crisis and impacts on health and wellbeing: Key actions health and care policy makers, commissioners and provider organisations can take

This resource, launched by members of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, discusses how the ongoing cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on health and wellbeing, with particularly acute challenges being faced by those who already experience health inequalities. It identifies six key actions health and care policy makers, commissioners and provider organisations can take to mitigate the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s health and wellbeing,

The piece also outlines how the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector has been providing vital services to support those most affected, but how the sector in itself is not immune to the effects of the crisis. Namely the sector is seeing an increase in demand, combined with an increase in running costs.

The resource brings together insights from the VCSE sector in a unique way, whilst amplifying the voices that we aren’t hearing as much. This includes transgender people, people whose babies require at home medical devices, and those living in pain because their surgeries have been cancelled.

The report is part of a wider body of work by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, whose mission it is to enable policy, commissioning and provider organisations to design services and support based on the needs of people and communities who face disadvantage and exclusion.

National Voices and NAVCA act as joint co-ordinators of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, which is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency.