Theresa May has had little time to put into practice her wish to tackle the ‘burning injustice' of health inequality. But with NHS chief executive Simon Stevens warning that the health of millions of children, the future sustainability of the NHS and the economic prosperity of Britain is dependent on a ‘radical upgrade' in public health, it seems time is of the essence.

But how does the land lie after local government took on responsibilities in 2013? Obesity rates continue to rise across England, particularly among the most disadvantaged children. Smoking levels have fallen but almost one in five adults is still a smoker, rising to over one in four in the lowest socio-economic groups.