Mothers-to-be in deprived areas are more likely to have premature babies. Home care lottery for the elderly. When the NHS was set up in 1948, one of its founding principles was to provide a universal health care service. n Everybody, irrespective of means, age, sex or occupation shall have the opportunity to benefit from the best and most up-to-date medical services available (Beveridge) n In other words, a clear commitment to provide a service of equal quality for everyone.

Despite the advances in medical care and technology and a universal system of health care there is growing evidence that: inequalities in standards of health care provision exist throughout the UK inequalities in health still exist throughout the UK these inequalities are getting worse. …..57 years on

Mortality = death Morbidity = illness Factors which influence health n Different groups and categories of people have very different experiences of these determinants of health. n These different experiences can have an effect on a persons chances of achieving good health. Also when these experiences overlap, they can have a snowballing effect. n However, the problem is complex - there is no simple explanation as to why differences in mortality rates and morbidity rates exist amongst individuals or groups.

Gender/biologicalfactors Hereditaryfactors Personallifestyle Ethnicorigin Socio- economic status Workingconditions Geographicallocation There are many influences on an individuals health. Factors which influence health