Welfare Reform on the Web (February 2000): Public Health - UK

HOW TO ENSURE CAPITAL GAINS

A. Coote

Health Service Journal, vol. 109, Oct. 21st 1999, p. 20-21

If the new breed of directly elected mayors take public health seriously, if the ministerial portfolio for public health were to be shifted to the Cabinet Office and integrated with social exclusion and if Health Authorities become part of local government, the cause of health improvement might at last emerge from the shadow of the NHS.

POLLUTION AND POVERTY REAL THREATS TO PUBLIC

B. Blatt

British Journal of Health Care Management, vol. 5, 1999, p. 363-364.

Article assess Saving Lives, the government's health white paper. Raises two concerns:

• that no numerical targets are proposed for reducing inequalities by improving the health of disadvantaged groups;
• that administrative control is heavily centralised, leaving little scope for local initiatives to meet local needs.

RUNNING OUT OF PUFF

P. Pallot

Health Service Journal, vol. 109, Oct. 7th 1999, p. 16

While most other countries have devolved the setting of public health targets to regional or county levels, often with public imput, Britain remains wedded to a top-down approach. Targets are set by the Department of Health, with the NHS machinery whipped into compliance.

SOCIAL WORK AND HEALTH INEQUALITIES

P. Bywaters

British Journal of Social Work, vol. 29, 1999, p. 811-816

Recent government announcements make it clear contributing to service users' health is now a priority for social services. Argues that a positive engagement with the project of tackling health inequalities in an appropriate task for social services. Effective intervention, dependent on reducing social inequalities, would bring both direct and indirect, short-term and long-term benefits for users of social services.