Not many things are as important to the quality of life as healthy and overall life expectancy. So why nearly 70 years after the creation of the NHS do we have wide variations in health outcomes that are related to peoples’ different and unequal positions in society? We might expect a universal free at the point of delivery health service to narrow these inequalities. However, this has not been the case. In addressing this topic it is necessary to view health inequalities as a ‘social problem’ – a problem that is created by, and exists within, society. In this respect health inequalities provi ... More

Not many things are as important to the quality of life as healthy and overall life expectancy. So why nearly 70 years after the creation of the NHS do we have wide variations in health outcomes that are related to peoples’ different and unequal positions in society? We might expect a universal free at the point of delivery health service to narrow these inequalities. However, this has not been the case. In addressing this topic it is necessary to view health inequalities as a ‘social problem’ – a problem that is created by, and exists within, society. In this respect health inequalities provide an important insight into the dynamics of contemporary societies, reflecting and shaping differences in life chances. Through the framework of understanding health inequalities as a 'wicked problem' the book develops an applied approach to researching, understanding and addressing these by drawing on complexity theory. Case studies illuminate the text, illustrating and discussing the issues in real life terms and enabling public health, health promotion and health policy students at postgraduate level to fully understand and address the complexities of health inequalities.