A report by The King's Fund shows that patients from more deprived areas are more likely to have long waits for planned hospital care than other groups of people.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

"Trusts work hard to reduce health inequalities but dedicated support and money, including for public health services, is vital to prevent poor health and ease pressure on stretched NHS services.

"The 'equality gap' faced by disadvantaged communities grew wider in the pandemic and the cost of living crisis and there is a real risk of health inequalities widening even more with long waits making people's health worse.

"Joined-up government action is needed to tackle the deep-rooted causes of longstanding health inequalities that addresses factors such as jobs, housing and education.

"Trusts have already cut the longest waits for treatment, amid months of disruptive strikes and ever mounting demand for care, as they continue to work flat out to shrink the care backlog – a government priority.

"To help the NHS to reduce health inequalities the issue needs to be as much of a national priority as cutting waiting times overall.

"Fundamental issues including severe workforce shortages – with more than 125,000 vacancies across the NHS in England right now – and too few beds amid record demand for care must also be addressed if we are to make real progress."