Poor Health for the Poor

A major review of health inequalities in England says people in the poorest neighbourhoods are likely to die seven years earlier than people in the richest areas - and a greater portion of those shorter lives will be spent unwell .

Professor Mike Kelly, of the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence said "We need to shift the emphasis away from medical interventions that treat existing illnesses to interventions to prevent those illnesses developing in the first place, but it needs political support and system change to make this happen..."

Indeed a change of system is what SOYMB would endorse.But we fear it is not quite the same as what the good doctor intends.This report indicates the real purpose of a national health service and the need for it to address problems - "inequality in illness accounts for £33bn of lost productivity every year." . It's costing capitalism money when the wage slaves cannot perform .

The Independent explains how plans to raise the retirement age to 68 will cause hardship for millions because three-quarters of people could be too ill to work. Yet the richest enjoy an extra 17 years of good health.

The previous Inquiry into Health Inequalities in England was published in 1998. However, the gap between rich and poor has not closed since then despite a range of policies aimed at tackling the problem. So no change which now leaves a fundamental change in the social system as the real solution .