Health inequalities in primary care
Published 30/09/2025
Until last month, the development of the Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care was a very small team of just me (Vicky Whitbread, Clinical Lead) and Aideen Evans (Implementation Lead). Our plan has a strong focus on reducing the unfair differences in health across the population and between different groups within society. You can find out more about our plan here: Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care - HEIW
Our health service has always focused on equality – everyone getting the same. What we really want is equity – everyone getting what they need. The shoe analogy really helps me to focus on what we are aiming for.
It can be really hard for our workforce when working with patients at risk of health inequalities. Patients in these groups are more likely to be ill and need help and their needs may be more complex. These patients are less likely to be able to find and understand and use information to promote and maintain good health.
Our workforce don’t always feel equipped with the skills to support patients at risk of health inequalities. This can affect the patients themselves but also can affect staff wellbeing and cause problems with recruitment and retention.
So what are we going to do?
Aideen and I knew we couldn’t tackle this on our own! We have been working in partnership with DeepEnd Wales (Deep End Wales Project), Public Health Wales and Health Board Academies but still needed more help so have recruited extra members to our team. We are delighted to welcome:
Rebecca Jenkinson
Rebecca has joined the team as the Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities. Rebecca Jenkinson is a GP Partner at The Kingsway Surgery in Swansea and serves as the GP Programme Director for Swansea Bay for HEIW. Rebecca brings a wealth of experience and a grounded, practical approach to her work. Her GP practice is in an area of high deprivation, so she has plenty of hands-on experience. She is committed to making a meaningful impact and she has supported DeepEnd Wales from their inception.
Rahul Dalal
Rahul has joined the team as a Clinical Fellow for Health Inequalities. He will work across both HEIW and Public Health Wales. He has experience as GP registrar in general practice in areas of high deprivation. Rahul holds a BMedSc in Healthcare Leadership and Management and is currently pursuing an MSc in Health Informatics. This blend of clinical insight and informatics expertise makes him a valuable addition to the team.
Declan Coleman
Declan joined the team as a Senior Project Manager after completing the graduate management programme, and he’s hit the ground running with energy, insight, and a real passion for tackling health inequalities. Declan is leading on a number of other projects too and his collaborative style and thoughtful approach have made him a go-to person for connecting workstreams and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Here’s how our new team are going to make change:
- Giving clinical staff the right skills: We’re putting together a clear plan to check what training our doctors, nurses and other clinicians need—both before and after they qualify—so they’re ready to support people from all backgrounds.
- Helping non-clinical staff make a difference: We’ll give our receptionists, admin teams and everyone else the training they need to spot health inequalities and help tackle them, focusing on population health and why some groups face bigger challenges than others.
- Mentoring for new GPs: We’re setting up a proper mentoring scheme to help newly qualified GPs settle into their roles and become partners, with extra focus on supporting those working in the toughest areas.
- Support for new staff in deprived areas: We’ll have a structured programme to help new team members who start work in areas with more deprivation, or with groups who are often left out, so they have the support and guidance they need from day one.
The aim is to make sure everyone feels confident and supported to help reduce health inequalities, especially where it matters most.
For further details of all our work on the Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care can be found here: Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care - HEIW
If you are interested in working with us on our inequalities work or any other part of the Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care, please contact us on heiw.primarycarewfp@wales.nhs.uk