The economics of health inequality in the English NHS : the long view

In this paper, I briefly outline some of the key milestones of health inequality policy in England. I describe how socioeconomic inequalities in health, government policy towards it, and the academic literature about it, have evolved over time and in relation to each other. Whilst this historical review is far from comprehensive, its aim is to provide sufficient context within which to interpret current NHS health inequality policy from the perspective of an economist.