Brazil-style healthcare initiative adopted in the U.K. reducing health inequalities

The initiative, launched in 2021, involves community health and wellbeing workers going to families’ homes, delivering healthcare advice and connecting people with local health and community support services. An evaluation of the program found those who were visited by staff at least once used local healthcare services 40% more than those who weren't paid a visit. For cancer screenings and health checks, uptake was increased by 82% with immunization statistics getting a 47% boost. The community health workers were credited with achieving a drop of 34% in cardiovascular deaths. The research also suggests the project can reduce pressure on general practice, with local GP services seeing a 7% average reduction in appointments per household, as a result of the community workers directing people to the right care.