In 1942 life expectancy at birth was 66 for women and 60 for men. Death was usually due to degenerative and infectious diseases. The greatest postwar success in the fight against disease was the establishment of the NHS and care that was free at the point of delivery. Life expectancy rose dramatically, but since 2011 incremental improvements have stalled and even, in some regions, begun to reverse. Infant mortality rates have crept up and the postcode lottery of health provision underscores the level of social inequality in the UK.

Good health is not simply the absence of disease. It is the collective of physical, social and mental well-being. It is the product of nutrition and genetics, of healthy lifestyles and preventative health interventions. It is the interaction between the conditions in which we live, work, play and age. Yet access to many of the things that make and keep us healthy are not evenly distributed in the population. Achieving good health is then deeply entwined with all aspects of society and cannot simply be solved by policies in one area alone.

In our rediscovery of Beveridge, the shadow of the pandemic looms large. It is has never been more urgent to address the underlying causes of Disease. And it has never been clearer that these determinants are not only social or physiological, but also political.

About the Author

Frances Darlington-Pollock is a Research Advisor at Save the Children UK, Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, and Chair of The Equality Trust. Previously, she worked as a lecturer in population and health geography at both the University of Liverpool and Queen Mary University of London.

Reviews

This conceptually and empirically rich book outlines how health and disease have been unequally experienced across the country both before and during the Coivid-19 pandemic. It argues powerfully that we cannot go back to 'business as usual' and should instead harness a new 'spirit of 45' to truly build back better and reduce health inequalities.

-- Clare Bambra, Professor of Public Health, Newcastle University

This is an important and illuminating book that sheds light on two persistent and intractable calamities - our alarmingly low levels of population health and the injustice of inequalities in health. Read this book and feel your outrage, then read it again to focus on what we need to do to create transformative change.

-- Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York, and co-author of The Spirit Level

Fran Pollock sets out the hard truth of how political choices have deprioritized ordinary people's health and well-being and sets out how we can stand together to oblige leaders to protect us all. Reading her book shocks but also empowers us to act.

-- Ben Phillips, author of How to Fight Inequality



Book Information
ISBN 9781788213912
Author Dr Frances Darlington-Pollock
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Agenda Publishing
Publisher Agenda Publishing