The health of the nation : a consultative document for health in England / presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Health by Command of Her Majesty, June 1991.

  • Great Britain. Department of Health.
Date:
1991
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: The health of the nation : a consultative document for health in England / presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Health by Command of Her Majesty, June 1991. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BOUTIY*IniHEALTH 1 By the year 2000, the actual differences in health status between countries and between groups within countries should be reduced by at least 25%, by improving the levels of health of disadvantaged nations and groups. There is a persistent gap between death rates among manual and non-manual classes, and the Regional Target of reducing the actual differences in health status between groups within countries by at least 25% by the year 2000 does not seem likely on present evidence to be achieved, at least with respect to these social groups. There have however been marked reductions in national perinatal and infant mortality rates over the past 10 years in each of the social classes, with some reduction in the disparity between manual and non-manual classes. However, in 1987 the perinatal and infant mortality rates were still more than 50% greater in social class V (unskilled occupations) than social class I (professional occupations). GENERAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 2 By the year 2000, people should have the basic opportunity to develop and use their health potential to live socially and economically fulfilling lives. 3 By the year 2000, disabled persons should have the physical, social and economic opportunities that allow at least for a socially and economically fulfilling and mentally creative life. 4 By the year 2000, the average number of years that people live free from major disease and disability should be increased by at least 10%. 6 By the year 2000, life expectancy at birth in the Region should be at least 75 years. Life expectancy at birth is currently 75.5 years (72.8 for males and 78.3 for females). England has thus already attained the Regional target for this indicator. Assess- ment of trends in general health and well-being is hampered to some extent by lack of appropriate data. Recent trends in self-reported morbidity as collected in the General Household Survey have indicated that, although between 1980 and 1989 there was little change in the prevalence of “acute sickness”, there was some evidence that the rates of self-reported longstanding illness had increased during the 1980s. Using the General Household Survey measure of limiting longstanding illnesses, which is sometimes used as a proxy for disability, it has been shown that, in England and Wales, over the ten year period from 1976 to 1985, while the expectation of life increased, the expectation of life without disability changed little. This was true for both men and women. These findings may simply reflect changing perceptions of illness or a greater propensity to report it, but they do emphasise the importance of considering trends not only in life expectancy, but also those which reflect the quality of life. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 5 By the year 2000, there should be no indigenous measles, poliomyelitis, neonatal tetanus, congenital rubella, diphtheria, congenital syphilis or indigenous malaria in the Region England compares well with most other European countries and is making satisfactory progress towards the European targets for the eradication of childhood