This post is the second half of a two-part series by guest blogger Kate Thomson which explores proposed changes to the National Health Service in England.The first post provides useful background information (particularly for those living outside the UK) on these proposed changes. In this post, Kate explains in greater detail the areas of reform which are of greatest contention. Kate is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at Birmingham City University and is currently researching health reforms in the Russian Federation.

In the first of a two-part series, guest blogger Kate Thomson provides helpful background on the proposed reforms to the NHS, as embodied in the Health and Social Care Bill. Also outlined are the major concerns and debates surrounding the Bill. Kate is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at Birmingham City University and is currently researching health reforms in the Russian Federation.

In this guest post, Kate Thomson discusses the elimination of a national taskforce proven to reduce health inequalities in England. She asks whether the shift of responsibility to local authorities will render health equity concerns into unaffordable luxuries. Kate is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at Birmingham City University and is currently researching health reforms in the Russian Federation.

Inspired by the Spirit Level, two UK graduates cycle tour Sweden to find out what life is like in a more equal country. Through a series of video interviews the adventurists explore the ways in which the UK can learn from the Swedes. Excited about this project, I couldn’t help contacting Steven, recently returned from Sweden, for an interview.

Two major health inequality reports were recently released, one in the UK and the other in the US. This is the final post in a series which seeks to better understand the health perspective of these reports. Understanding variations in how health inequality research is pursued is important because health perspectives can undermine attention to the broader determinants of health inequalities and hinder the development of healthy public policies. While the true policy implications of the reports remain to be seen, the difference in health perspectives of the two reports is astounding.

A coalition of campaigners in Britain have joined forces in support of what they’ve cleverly labeled The Robin Hood Tax. While the campaign has already generated a huge amount of online activism, some 350 economists from all over the world are calling upon world leaders to support the Robin Hood Tax. We need to support these efforts here in the US.

Last week and just days apart, two major reviews of health inequalities were released, Fair Society, Healthy Lives in the UK and County Health Rankings in the US. Understanding variations in how health inequality research is pursued is important because research which emphasizes an individualized model of health undermines attention to the broader determinants of health and the development of healthy public policy.

A major report published last week arms the UK with an evidence-based strategy for reducing health inequalities over the next 10 years. Commissioned by the government, the report, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, outlines six essential policy objectives.