Impact on Urban Health's analysis shows preventable mortality is 2.7 times higher in the most deprived urban neighbourhoods than in the least deprived.

The report finds the most deprived urban neighbourhoods experience far worse health outcomes across their life course, from child health to hospitalisation and mortality.

Male urban life expectancy varies by almost 28 years. In Kensington and Chelsea, women living around a 20-minute walk apart face a 19-year difference in average life expectancy.

The research finds health inequalities are driven by wider systems and conditions, including deprivation, racism, discrimination, poor housing, air pollution, lack of access to healthy, affordable food and gaps in essential services.

People in the most deprived areas can expect to live around 15 fewer years in good health than people in the least deprived areas.

Child mortality rates are around twice as high for Black and Asian children compared with white children.

The report recommends locally determined targets and metrics for primary prevention – preventing ill health before it develops - as part of neighbourhood health plans, developed in partnership with local communities.

The charity also calls for people and communities most affected by urban health challenges to be actively involved in policy development.

Peter Babudu, executive director at Impact on Urban Health, said: ‘The Government's neighbourhood health agenda is a once in a generation opportunity to make the places we live health-enabling and address unsustainable pressure on services. But if prevention isn't built in from the start, we risk missing that potential. That means tackling the conditions that make people ill in the first place and involving the people most affected in designing the solutions.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Your postcode should never determine your life expectancy. Everyone, wherever they live, deserves the chance to live a longer, healthier life.

‘That's why this Government is taking action now. We are targeting NHS funding to the areas that need it most and rolling out neighbourhood health centres in communities with the lowest healthy life expectancy. We're also cutting waiting lists, delivering more dental appointments, and shifting from treatment to prevention through our 10-Year Health Plan.

‘But action goes beyond the NHS, and to support people to stay healthier for longer, we're expanding free school meals, introducing breakfast clubs and boosting the National Living Wage.'