the richest and poorest parts of england has widened, according to research for bbc newsnight. whilst people in less affluent areas on average develop chronic health conditions at a younger age and die earlier, they have fewer gps and a worse experience. here s newsnight s chief correspondent, david grossman. blackpool is the poorest town in england. it has the lowest life expectancy in the country. and with that, multiple complex health needs. you might assume those challenges would mean more doctors and better care. but come to places like the revoe estate, and you ll hear the opposite. you re always encouraged anything that you suspect may be cancer. so i found a lump my lower back. it was painful. i phoned up my gp to get an appointment and they suggested it might be better to go to the walk in centre because i d get seen quicker. they offered me an appointment, but it was in three weeks time. so they were great, but they did just pack me off with some painkillers. er.
centre, emily speaking. newton drive health centre in blackpool is rated as good by the care quality commission. knocking. come in! susan green is a gp and partner. she says criticism of gps particularly the idea that they are being lazy or uncaring is hard to listen to. it is so devastating to be told that you re the problem. and you have to just say to yourself, i know the reality of what i have done today. i know the reality that if i do crumble and i can t do this any more, that s another 80 appointments a week potentially lost. the pain of a struggling primary care sector isn t spread equally. places like blackpool have already suffered most. and what was really striking on our visit no one seemed to think that the stresses on the system were about to ease. david grossman, bbc news, blackpool. let s speak now to professor martin marshall, chair of the royal college of gps
has been built up. that is a problem for children and people above 50 with a range of chronic conditions, heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems. come forward. you don t have to book. you can go to a walk in centre. you can dial 119 to make an appointment or go to your gp. you can get both the flu and covid jab mike this winter. fine covid ab mike this winter. are there covid jab mike this winter. are there enough covid jab mike this winter. are there enough of these vaccines to go around? we are hearing reports of people going and having theirjab is cancelled because there aren t enough of them around in their area? i am very sorry to hear that. we certainly have plenty of vaccine in the system. for covid, for example, we are using vaccines that cover against two types of coronavirus, the original type as well as the omicron type that has been circulating since december. there is plenty of vaccine for everybody eligible for a booster to have won this winter. that gives you broad
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