THE impact of the cost-of-living crisis is “more pressing” than Covid, a health meeting heard.

The West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Board, which brings together the region’s NHS organisations and local authorities, was discussing its role in helping to alleviate the impact of poverty.

A report to the meeting set out dire predictions for the coming months – a rising number of people living in poverty – including those within the partnership’s own workforce - as well as an increase in demand for health and social care services at a time of rising costs.

The report said this will pile additional pressure on services that are already stretched.

Deborah Harkins, Calderdale Council’s director of public health, compiled the report and said: “It’s the shame, feeling judged, it’s no wonder that being in poverty is really bad for our health in so many ways.

“The scale of this is absolutely unprecedented.”

The report’s co-author, Frederike Garbe, consultant in public Health and associate director for improving population health at the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said that given the scale, the current crisis is “probably as pressing, if not more pressing than Covid has been”.

She added: “What is key, is while people are experiencing the health impacts of poverty already, it’s obviously predicted to get sadly get a lot worse in the medium term, we need to look at long-term solutions as well.

“We need to break the cycle of poverty and not just try to put sticking plasters on this.”

Councillor Viv Kendrick (Lab, Heckmondwike) praised the work of voluntary and community organisations and spoke of the need for additional investment

“We need to really be making sure those continue on to support our people in the community,” she said.

Dr Sara Munro, chief executive of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, added: “There is a hidden cohort that existed before the current challenges around the cost of living that don’t have structural support, are in temporary housing, move from house to house, probably at risk now from landlords putting prices up, kids not necessarily in school because parents can’t afford to send them to school.

“So, they won’t access services and say we need help.”

She said there is a danger that in trying to address the bigger challenge for a larger group of people “we don’t provide additional support and outreach to that cohort that are incredibly vulnerable”.