Table 2.

Study findings

Inequality measured at an individual or geographical level	Paper	Main findings
Geographical	Barr et al (2014)9	Absolute inequalities in mortality amenable to healthcare fell in males and females from 95 to 54 and from 47 to 28 deaths per 100 000, respectively. Relative inequities fell from 72% to 67% and from 52% to 47% for males and females, respectively. Annual increases in NHS funds associated with decreased male (r=−0.41, p<0.001) and female mortality (r=−0.24, p<0.001) from causes amenable to healthcare. Each additional £10 million of resources in most deprived authorities was associated with a direct reduction in four male (95% CI 3.1 to 4.9) and 1.8 female deaths per 100 000 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.4). No significant direct effect in least deprived authorities. Increased resources directly reduced the absolute gap by 35 male and 16 female deaths per 100 000. No significant change in inequalities of mortality not amenable to healthcare.
	Barr et al (2017)6	Before strategy, absolute gap in life expectancy between most and least deprived areas increased for men and women by 0.57 (95% CI=0.40, 0.74 months) and 0.30 months (0.12 to 0.48 months) each year respectively. Throughout strategy, decreased for men and women by 0.91 (0.54 to 1.27 months) and 0.50 months (0.15 to 0.86 months) each year respectively. After strategy, increased for men and women by 0.68 (−0.20 to 1.56 months) and 0.31 months (−0.26 to 0.88 months) each year respectively. Statistically significant change in trend of inequalities before and after strategy (p<0.001) for both men and women. Model replicated using log of number of deaths under age of 65 in each area. For men: increase in relative gap by 0.545% per year (95% CI 0.071 to 1.018, p=0.024) before strategy, decrease of −0.757% per year (95% CI −1.297 to −0.218, p=0.006) during strategy and increase of 1.75% per year (95% CI 0.204 to 3.298, p=0.027) after strategy. For women: decrease of −0.619% per year (95% CI −1.121 to −0.1118, p=0.016) throughout strategy, no statistically significant change before or after strategy. Compared life expectancy in spearhead and non-spearhead areas. For men: increased before strategy by 0.43 months each year (95% CI 0.28 to 0.59 months, p<0.001), decreased during strategy by 0.52 months per year (95% CI −0.78 to −0.25, p<0.001) and no significant change following strategy. For women: increased before strategy by 0.19 months each year (95% CI 0.05 to 0.34 months, p=0.01), no significant change during or after strategy. Life expectancy gap between spearhead areas and the rest of the country increased only from 2006. From 2006: increase in Spearhead compared with non-Spearhead areas by 2.8 (95% CI 0.02 to 5.5 months, p=0.05) and 3.14 months (95% CI 0.97 to 5.31, p<0.001) for male and females respectively, after controlling for deprivation.
	Buck and Maguire (2015)19	Marmot curves showed relationship between income deprivation level and life expectancy. Curve with more recent data was shifted upwards, indicating improvement across all levels of deprivation. Curve was shallower, indicating reduced inequalities. Difference in life expectancy between top and bottom 10% of areas fell from 6.9 to 4.4 years.
	Department of Health (2011b)12	Between 1995–1997 and 2008–2010, absolute inequality in life expectancy increased between spearhead areas and whole of England from 1.9 to 2.1 years for males and from 1.4 to 1.7 years for females. Relative inequalities increased from 2.57% to 2.61% for males and from 1.77% to 2.00% for females. Absolute inequality in mortality rates decreased from 142.3 to 115.2 per 100 000 for males and from 75.5 to 74.4 per 100 000 for females. Relative inequality increased from 15.3% to 17.6% for males and from 12.4% to 15.9% for females. Absolute gap in cancer mortality fell from 20.7 to 18.3 per 100 000. Relative gap increased from 14.7% to 16.7%. Absolute gap in circulatory diseases mortality fell from 36.7 to 20.1 between 1995–1997 and 2007–2009. Relative gap increased from 25.9% to 29.9%.
	Exarchakou et al (2018)26	Absolute gap unchanged for 13 cancers in men and 17 cancers in women. Narrowed in eight cancers (six in men, two in women) and widened for three cancers (two in women, one in men).
	Robinson et al (2019)21	Absolute inequality increased before strategy from 0.95 to 1.28 deaths per 100 000. Decreased during strategy from 1.57 to 1.06 per 100 000. Increased after strategy from 0.87 to 0.93 per 100 000. Relative inequalities increased from 1.10 to 1.25 before strategy, decreased from 1.32 to 1.29 during it and increased after it from 1.23 to 1.27. Absolute gap increased at an average of 0.034 per 100 000 (95% CI 0.001 to 0.067) per year before strategy. During strategy fell by 0.116 per 100 000 (95% CI −0.178 to −0.053) per year. After strategy, increased insignificantly (0.042 per 100 000 (95% CI −0.042 to 0.125)).
Individual	Department of Health (2011a)13	Infant mortality absolute inequalities between routine and manual groups and whole of England fell between from 0.7 to 0.4 per 100 000. Relative inequalities fell from 13% to 10%.
	Font et al (2011)20	Socioeconomic inequalities in health measured by standardised concentration indices (larger concentration index indicates greater inequality). Index fell from 0.06 to 0.04 for self-assessed health, rose from 0.055 to 0.066 for long-term illness and fell from 0.062 to 0.055 for limitations of daily living activities scores.
	Hu et al (2016)7	No significant improvement in inequalities for self-assessed health, long-standing health problems, smoking status and obesity in England between 2000 and 2010 compared with 1990–2000. No significant improvement in inequality trend changes in England compared with Italy, Finland and the Netherlands. Improvement in all-cause mortality inequality trends in 2000–2010 compared with 1990–2000 in England (OR=0.86, p<0.05). Non-significant improvement in England compared with Finland (OR=0.91, p=0.086).
	Maheswaran et al (2015)27	Mental health significantly improved from 1997 to 2009 for all social classes. Inequalities however increased. Between 1996 and 2009: probability of reporting bad or very bad health remained relatively constant in social class I. Increased in lower social classes. Greatest increase in social class V. Increased quality of life for those in social class I but not in social class V.
Both	Department of Health (2007)10	Between 1995–1997 and 2004–2006: Absolute gap in life expectancy between spearhead areas and England as a whole increased from 1.9 to 2.0 for males and from 1.4 to 1.6 for females. Relative gap increased from 2.57% to 2.63% for males and from 1.77% to 1.96% for females. Absolute inequalities in infant mortality between manual and routine groups and all workers increased from 0.7 to 0.8 per 100 000. Relative inequalities increased from 13% to 17%. Absolute inequality between fifth most deprived local authority districts (LADs) and England as a whole in cancer and circulatory disease mortality fell from 18.0 to 15.9 and from 31.3 to 22.2 per 100 000, respectively. No change in relative gap for cancer. Relative gap for circulatory disease increased from 1.22 to 1.26 Absolute inequality in road accident mortality between fifth most deprived LADs and England as a whole fell between 1998 and 2006 from 32 to 15 per 100 000. Relative gap fell from 1.05 to 1.03. Seventy-five of 82 cross-departmental commitments made in 2003 programme for action were wholly or substantially achieved by December 2006.