ntroduction
As part of my Unit 8 Promoting Public Health, I am required to explore the various
ways in which public health is promoted across the UK, whether that be through
health and social care services, legislation or social media. Through exploring
patterns of ill health and how they are monitored across the country, I will be able to
understand how public health policy is created and why it is targeted towards certain
demographics or areas of ill health. I will be considering the various factors
influencing public health locally and nationally in order to draw conclusions on the
effectiveness of public health promotion and to gain a greater understanding of how
people should be made aware of public health issues. The unit will help me to
develop my understanding of government led initiatives to tackle public health issues
in the UK and how they are able to encourage behavioural changes in those affected
by the issue.
Learning Aim A requires me to examine the strategies used for developing public
health policy to improve public health across the UK. For Learning Aim B, I will be
examining the factors that can affect the health of a population and addressing how
they can be used to improve public health. Learning Aim C will lead to an
investigation of how health is promoted which will support my learning for Learning
Aim D whereby the effectiveness of health promotion and how it works will be
investigated.
Learning Aim A | Examine strategies for developing public health policy to improve
the health of individuals and the population.
A.P1 Explain the strategies used to develop public health policy in order for it
to meet its aims.
Public health refers to “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting health through the organized efforts of society” (WHO, 2019). Although
public health and subsequent health promotion campaigns often focus on the
prevention or eradication of disease, public health also focuses on the entire
spectrum of health and wellbeing. Promotion campaigns aim to focus on all aspects
of life to ensure that they are able to take the most effective approach in order to
reach their goal.
In 1948, the National Health Service was created with the aim that individuals in the
UK would be able to receive healthcare that was free at the point of delivery,
allowing for healthcare to become more inclusive and prevent discrimination from
influencing an individuals ability to seek and receive treatment. It quickly became
known as the NHS and was the first health service of its kind globally. Although prior
to the creation of the NHS, all male workers had medical care through insurance, this
did not cover their families which meant that only a minority group in England had
access to any form of healthcare.
Since not all individuals could afford health insurance, or did not have appropriate
access to it; in many areas of the UK health services funded by workers were
formed. During this time, the Tredegar Workmen’s Medical Aid Society provided 95%
of the local populations needs and this society acted as a model which inspired
Aneurin Bevan in the creation of the NHS.
,An underlying principle of the National Health
Service firmly is that healthcare should be free
for all, regardless of age, income or social
group which is why it was set up in 1948. In
an article published by Tudor Hart, the inverse
care law was introduced which is used in a
situation in which those most in need of
healthcare are the least likely to get it. For
example when those with lower incomes but ill
health are pushed to the bottom of waiting
lists for treatment due to their low income and
despite their state of ill health. Despite the
NHS attempting to overcome the inverse care
law, individuals with a lower income are still
likely to experience health inequalities such as having reduced access to healthcare
despite having a likely higher rate of ill health.
After World War 2, the NHS found themselves taking a greater interest in public
health, especially after the casualty number in the was being so great, often due to
individuals dying of diseases that could have been prevented, such as trench foot.
Political parties and health services began to consider healthcare promoting
recovery from serious injuries, such as those sustained during the World War.
Introducing the NHS meant that those who were injured during WW2 were able to
access treatment to prevent their injury from causing unnecessary long-term
consequences as medical help was free and available for all to use. Due to political
parties showing a greater interest in the public health of England, the government
commissioned Sir William Beveridge to investigate the various ways in which the
country could recover from the health impacts of the Second World War. In 1942, the
Beveridge report was published, stating that the post-war period would be a time for
radical change and the government would need to find ways to fight diseases in
order to facilitate the change.
Alongside disease, four other great evils were identified in the report: want,
ignorance, squalor and idleness, which the Beveridge report aimed to reduce in
order to support the country's post-war improvements. Beveridge also put out a set
of recommendations in the report for a service that was comprehensive, universal,
contributory, non-means tested and compulsory. In the report, the key message was
that “genuine social security could only be achieved through co-operation between
individuals and the state” (Fabians, 2013), meaning that England would have to unite
in order to rid itself of the five great evils that were preventing them from reaching
greatness.
Aneurin Bevan was a key figure in the creation and implementation of the NHS in the
UK. After the World Wars, Bevan found a great need for improved medical care
within England, especially due to the prevalence of post-war injuries and diseases.
Bevan was elected as the Minister of Health in 1945 and immediately took concern
with the health and wellbeing of England, especially after there being various
disease outbreaks which led to deaths that could have been prevented if there was
access to free healthcare. Due to identifying the public health needs in England,
Bevan became ambitious with the idea of creating a health service based on four
principles: “one that is free at the point of use, available to everyone who needed it,
,paid for out of general taxation and used responsibly” (Past Medical History, 2019).
At the time of his proposal, it was a highly controversial idea which led to him facing
opposition from the British Medical Association and Conservative Party.
Additionally, the British Medical Association, which was made up of Doctors and
Consultants from England, opposed to the idea of the NHS. In 1947, the BMA
threatened to boycott the service due to concerns about their independent status
being revoked and being forced to work for a salary. Eventually, Aneurin Bevan
managed to get Winston Churchill's lead physician onboard with his idea of the NHS
and he was able to convince Doctors and other healthcare professionals to sign up
to work for the service. Bevan also won the support of medical professionals by
allowing the consultants to work both within the NHS and also with private patients in
order to maximise their profits as this was an area that they were concerned about.
Although the majority of the UK population were excited by the prospect of a
National Health Service that was free at the point of delivery, healthcare
professionals did not have the same opinion as that of the public. As before the NHS
was created many healthcare professionals worked independently, meaning that
they were paid per patient, they disagreed with the prospect of the NHS due to it
meaning that they would be paid a salary, rather than a fee per patient. Despite
healthcare professionals supposedly working in the field in order to help others since
it was an area of great financial benefit, being compliant with the NHS would lead to
drastic financial loss for professionals.
Between the two World Wars, numerous reports were published by healthcare
professionals aiming to promote change with how healthcare was implemented,
however, no action was taken. Shortly after World War 2, the government passed
the National Health Service Act which aimed to “provide establishment for
comprehensive health services in England and Wales” (GOV.UK, 1946). The act
lawfully enforced that services provided by the NHS must be free at the point of
delivery and gave the responsibility of “promoting the establishment of a health
service to secure improvement in the physical and mental health of the people and
the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness” (GOV.UK, 1946) to the Minister of
Health.
As the public already had
worries and anxiety about
public health after the war, they
largely welcomes the report due
to its call for action against
disease. Since the UK had
recently suffered from a
measles epidemic, the report
was accepted as it aimed to
prevent diseases and the UK
public had already seen first-
hand how devastating disease
could be, meaning that they were more susceptible to change. In 1940, the measles
outbreak led to 409251 notifications of the disease within England, with over 2000
deaths following shortly after.
, As England were in the middle of World War 2 at the time of the outbreak, they
suffered great losses as many individuals died from disease at home, preventing
them from going out to fight in the World War and replace the soldiers that were
killed in action. Due to the War, England suffered great financial losses which left
individuals without the money to afford better housing and therefore left in constant
close proximity. If one individual in the family had measles, then they would likely
spread the disease to all others in the household due to it being an airborne disease
and individuals living in very close proximity to each other. Additionally, any soldiers
that came back from the War may have had measles due to being in close proximity
with others, meaning that when they came back home, they may have been carrying
the disease which would have spread it to any individual who they came into contact
with.
In 1961, another measles outbreak occurred in which the notifiable cases of measles
rose to 693803. Despite there being more cases of measles in 1961 compared to
1940, there were significantly less
deaths, with only 152 individuals
dying during that year from measles.
Since the NHS was fully established
by this point in time, they were able
to offer their health services and
assistance to those with measles,
meaning that individuals with the
disease were more likely to survive.
Those who had little finances were
still able to utilise health services and treatments as the NHS was free at the point of
delivery, meaning that they could get fluids and medications for no additional cost. It
is possible that this outbreak was due to high migration rates to England during the
1960s, meaning that individuals carrying measles were able to bring it over and
infect those that they were migrating with. After the War, England became more
financially secure and the economy boomed which drew migrants from other
countries due to the greater prospects in England. Along with the flood of migrants
during 1961, many foreign diseases and illnesses followed, leading to poor public
health as English citizens did not have the immune systems to handle.
After the measles outbreaks in the 1940s and 1960s, the NHS and associated
professionals began to work on a vaccination. Eventually, the vaccination was
brought to market in 1968 and since then has helped to avert 20 million cases of
measles and 4,500 deaths. Creating this vaccine helped to reduce the strain on the
NHS as immunisations took a considerable amount of time less than providing care
and treatment for someone with a case of measles. Although the vaccine was
effective and millions of cases of measles were prevented, it became controversial
after a study was published linking the vaccination to autism. Despite this claim
having falsified evidence and the study that collected results being fraudulent, due to
the credibility of the physician who carried out the study, the results were accepted
by many. Fear of developing autism then led to many individuals refusing
immunisations for either themselves or their children which is what has led to various
spikes in measles cases in first world countries.
Between 2017 and 2018, cases of measles began to steadily increase. This is
partially due to an increase in imports to the UK, meaning that measles can be
As part of my Unit 8 Promoting Public Health, I am required to explore the various
ways in which public health is promoted across the UK, whether that be through
health and social care services, legislation or social media. Through exploring
patterns of ill health and how they are monitored across the country, I will be able to
understand how public health policy is created and why it is targeted towards certain
demographics or areas of ill health. I will be considering the various factors
influencing public health locally and nationally in order to draw conclusions on the
effectiveness of public health promotion and to gain a greater understanding of how
people should be made aware of public health issues. The unit will help me to
develop my understanding of government led initiatives to tackle public health issues
in the UK and how they are able to encourage behavioural changes in those affected
by the issue.
Learning Aim A requires me to examine the strategies used for developing public
health policy to improve public health across the UK. For Learning Aim B, I will be
examining the factors that can affect the health of a population and addressing how
they can be used to improve public health. Learning Aim C will lead to an
investigation of how health is promoted which will support my learning for Learning
Aim D whereby the effectiveness of health promotion and how it works will be
investigated.
Learning Aim A | Examine strategies for developing public health policy to improve
the health of individuals and the population.
A.P1 Explain the strategies used to develop public health policy in order for it
to meet its aims.
Public health refers to “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting health through the organized efforts of society” (WHO, 2019). Although
public health and subsequent health promotion campaigns often focus on the
prevention or eradication of disease, public health also focuses on the entire
spectrum of health and wellbeing. Promotion campaigns aim to focus on all aspects
of life to ensure that they are able to take the most effective approach in order to
reach their goal.
In 1948, the National Health Service was created with the aim that individuals in the
UK would be able to receive healthcare that was free at the point of delivery,
allowing for healthcare to become more inclusive and prevent discrimination from
influencing an individuals ability to seek and receive treatment. It quickly became
known as the NHS and was the first health service of its kind globally. Although prior
to the creation of the NHS, all male workers had medical care through insurance, this
did not cover their families which meant that only a minority group in England had
access to any form of healthcare.
Since not all individuals could afford health insurance, or did not have appropriate
access to it; in many areas of the UK health services funded by workers were
formed. During this time, the Tredegar Workmen’s Medical Aid Society provided 95%
of the local populations needs and this society acted as a model which inspired
Aneurin Bevan in the creation of the NHS.
,An underlying principle of the National Health
Service firmly is that healthcare should be free
for all, regardless of age, income or social
group which is why it was set up in 1948. In
an article published by Tudor Hart, the inverse
care law was introduced which is used in a
situation in which those most in need of
healthcare are the least likely to get it. For
example when those with lower incomes but ill
health are pushed to the bottom of waiting
lists for treatment due to their low income and
despite their state of ill health. Despite the
NHS attempting to overcome the inverse care
law, individuals with a lower income are still
likely to experience health inequalities such as having reduced access to healthcare
despite having a likely higher rate of ill health.
After World War 2, the NHS found themselves taking a greater interest in public
health, especially after the casualty number in the was being so great, often due to
individuals dying of diseases that could have been prevented, such as trench foot.
Political parties and health services began to consider healthcare promoting
recovery from serious injuries, such as those sustained during the World War.
Introducing the NHS meant that those who were injured during WW2 were able to
access treatment to prevent their injury from causing unnecessary long-term
consequences as medical help was free and available for all to use. Due to political
parties showing a greater interest in the public health of England, the government
commissioned Sir William Beveridge to investigate the various ways in which the
country could recover from the health impacts of the Second World War. In 1942, the
Beveridge report was published, stating that the post-war period would be a time for
radical change and the government would need to find ways to fight diseases in
order to facilitate the change.
Alongside disease, four other great evils were identified in the report: want,
ignorance, squalor and idleness, which the Beveridge report aimed to reduce in
order to support the country's post-war improvements. Beveridge also put out a set
of recommendations in the report for a service that was comprehensive, universal,
contributory, non-means tested and compulsory. In the report, the key message was
that “genuine social security could only be achieved through co-operation between
individuals and the state” (Fabians, 2013), meaning that England would have to unite
in order to rid itself of the five great evils that were preventing them from reaching
greatness.
Aneurin Bevan was a key figure in the creation and implementation of the NHS in the
UK. After the World Wars, Bevan found a great need for improved medical care
within England, especially due to the prevalence of post-war injuries and diseases.
Bevan was elected as the Minister of Health in 1945 and immediately took concern
with the health and wellbeing of England, especially after there being various
disease outbreaks which led to deaths that could have been prevented if there was
access to free healthcare. Due to identifying the public health needs in England,
Bevan became ambitious with the idea of creating a health service based on four
principles: “one that is free at the point of use, available to everyone who needed it,
,paid for out of general taxation and used responsibly” (Past Medical History, 2019).
At the time of his proposal, it was a highly controversial idea which led to him facing
opposition from the British Medical Association and Conservative Party.
Additionally, the British Medical Association, which was made up of Doctors and
Consultants from England, opposed to the idea of the NHS. In 1947, the BMA
threatened to boycott the service due to concerns about their independent status
being revoked and being forced to work for a salary. Eventually, Aneurin Bevan
managed to get Winston Churchill's lead physician onboard with his idea of the NHS
and he was able to convince Doctors and other healthcare professionals to sign up
to work for the service. Bevan also won the support of medical professionals by
allowing the consultants to work both within the NHS and also with private patients in
order to maximise their profits as this was an area that they were concerned about.
Although the majority of the UK population were excited by the prospect of a
National Health Service that was free at the point of delivery, healthcare
professionals did not have the same opinion as that of the public. As before the NHS
was created many healthcare professionals worked independently, meaning that
they were paid per patient, they disagreed with the prospect of the NHS due to it
meaning that they would be paid a salary, rather than a fee per patient. Despite
healthcare professionals supposedly working in the field in order to help others since
it was an area of great financial benefit, being compliant with the NHS would lead to
drastic financial loss for professionals.
Between the two World Wars, numerous reports were published by healthcare
professionals aiming to promote change with how healthcare was implemented,
however, no action was taken. Shortly after World War 2, the government passed
the National Health Service Act which aimed to “provide establishment for
comprehensive health services in England and Wales” (GOV.UK, 1946). The act
lawfully enforced that services provided by the NHS must be free at the point of
delivery and gave the responsibility of “promoting the establishment of a health
service to secure improvement in the physical and mental health of the people and
the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness” (GOV.UK, 1946) to the Minister of
Health.
As the public already had
worries and anxiety about
public health after the war, they
largely welcomes the report due
to its call for action against
disease. Since the UK had
recently suffered from a
measles epidemic, the report
was accepted as it aimed to
prevent diseases and the UK
public had already seen first-
hand how devastating disease
could be, meaning that they were more susceptible to change. In 1940, the measles
outbreak led to 409251 notifications of the disease within England, with over 2000
deaths following shortly after.
, As England were in the middle of World War 2 at the time of the outbreak, they
suffered great losses as many individuals died from disease at home, preventing
them from going out to fight in the World War and replace the soldiers that were
killed in action. Due to the War, England suffered great financial losses which left
individuals without the money to afford better housing and therefore left in constant
close proximity. If one individual in the family had measles, then they would likely
spread the disease to all others in the household due to it being an airborne disease
and individuals living in very close proximity to each other. Additionally, any soldiers
that came back from the War may have had measles due to being in close proximity
with others, meaning that when they came back home, they may have been carrying
the disease which would have spread it to any individual who they came into contact
with.
In 1961, another measles outbreak occurred in which the notifiable cases of measles
rose to 693803. Despite there being more cases of measles in 1961 compared to
1940, there were significantly less
deaths, with only 152 individuals
dying during that year from measles.
Since the NHS was fully established
by this point in time, they were able
to offer their health services and
assistance to those with measles,
meaning that individuals with the
disease were more likely to survive.
Those who had little finances were
still able to utilise health services and treatments as the NHS was free at the point of
delivery, meaning that they could get fluids and medications for no additional cost. It
is possible that this outbreak was due to high migration rates to England during the
1960s, meaning that individuals carrying measles were able to bring it over and
infect those that they were migrating with. After the War, England became more
financially secure and the economy boomed which drew migrants from other
countries due to the greater prospects in England. Along with the flood of migrants
during 1961, many foreign diseases and illnesses followed, leading to poor public
health as English citizens did not have the immune systems to handle.
After the measles outbreaks in the 1940s and 1960s, the NHS and associated
professionals began to work on a vaccination. Eventually, the vaccination was
brought to market in 1968 and since then has helped to avert 20 million cases of
measles and 4,500 deaths. Creating this vaccine helped to reduce the strain on the
NHS as immunisations took a considerable amount of time less than providing care
and treatment for someone with a case of measles. Although the vaccine was
effective and millions of cases of measles were prevented, it became controversial
after a study was published linking the vaccination to autism. Despite this claim
having falsified evidence and the study that collected results being fraudulent, due to
the credibility of the physician who carried out the study, the results were accepted
by many. Fear of developing autism then led to many individuals refusing
immunisations for either themselves or their children which is what has led to various
spikes in measles cases in first world countries.
Between 2017 and 2018, cases of measles began to steadily increase. This is
partially due to an increase in imports to the UK, meaning that measles can be
