Health inequalities are avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people. The term is used in many different ways and can refer to differences in:

• Health status including life-expectancy and the prevalence of long term conditions such as diabetes
• Access to care including waiting lists and availability of treatments
• Quality and experience of care including satisfaction with care
• Health-related behaviours such alcohol consumption and smoking
• Wider determinants of health including housing quality and access to good work