Action is urgently needed on the social determinants of health in the UK

With less than two weeks to go before the UK’s general election on 4 July, voters have a decision to make. When asked “what are the most important issues facing the country,” the latest YouGov poll reported half of those responding place health (50%) and the economy (51%) at the top.1 Three-quarters said the UK government should spend more on the NHS.1 It is easy to see the importance of the economy to voters reflected in the media election coverage. Latest growth figures have been widely reported and mentioned in the speeches made by politicians. Receiving fewer headlines, however, is the coverage of worsening health in the UK, particularly the dire state of many of the social determinants of health including housing, education, and poverty.The evidence for this is overwhelming, and continues to be forthcoming, including in the past week when a number of stark reports were published that should…
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