Healthcare

London has profound health problems. The capital has the highest number of trusts where maternity provision was graded poor: 19 out of 27, or 70 per cent. Eight of the 10 worst trusts in the country were in London. Not one of the capital's 27 hospital trusts was awarded a top rating.

One in four drug users live in the city; we have higher rates of obesity than the rest of England which accounts for 4000 deaths every year, the number of 11 to 18 year olds in London treated for alcohol related diseases has almost doubled since 2001-02; a faster rate of increase than in any other English region.

It is a scandal that a child born in Haringey is three times more likely to die at birth than a child born in Richmond, and that if you travel eight stops on the Jubilee Line, from Westminster to Canning Town, the average life expectancy of residents declines by eight years. That is as great as the difference in life expectancy between Britain and Lebanon.

No Mayor can ignore this. Just because the Mayoral remit doesn't currently have any powers over healthcare, it doesn't mean City Hall should wash its hands of it. I will take a far more proactive approach to these issues:

• I will make it my moral duty to speak up for Londoners and help them by telling them frankly what kind of healthcare they are actually getting. The data is out there, and I will highlight where the government is failing us.
• I will beef up the role of the London Health Commission, allocating it a permanent budget to ensure that everything within the Mayor's remit, be it transport, housing or skills, makes reducing these health inequalities a priority. We are considering a model on public health closer to that operating in the United States to bring together Directors of Public Health and counterparts in local government (borough councils) to assess the needs of local communities.
• I will lobby for public health money to be
• safeguarded
against being used to plug holes in NHS budgets.
• I will stand up against local hospital closures.
• I will make our streets and open spaces safer, so that Londoners feel confident in cycling and exercising outdoors.

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