Authors: Richard Ennals
Publish Date: 2006/03/16
Volume: 21, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 231-233
Abstract
For many years epidemiologists have been collecting medical and sociological data and exploring the nature and causation of health inequalities Under the government of James Callaghan a young researcher Richard Wilkinson wrote to David Ennals Secretary of State for Health and Social Services urging him to investigate Douglas Black was duly commissioned to report with a view to helping to frame policy Margaret Thatcher suppressed the document when it was delivered after a change of government in 1979 With the return of a Labour government under Tony Blair Donald Acheson was commissioned to return to the thorny subject of health inequalitiesProfessor Sir Michael Marmot served on the Acheson Committee and then chaired a Committee which reviewed progress since 1997 reporting in 2005 The report showed that much needs to be done if life chances are to be more equal across society It is not enough to set targets
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