In this essay I will be discussing the social factors that influence health care and describe how effective the NHS has been in reducing health inequalities in the UK. There are four models of health, World Health Organisation; health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. Biophysical, health is the absence of disease and infirmity. Social, health is the state of optimum capacity of an individual for the effective role and tasks for which he has been socialised. Humanist, health is an ability to adapt positively.
There are many reasons for the inequalities in the health of the UK, there are differences of health by social class, this shows that people who are from a lower social class, including children, are more likely to suffer…show more content… There are differences in diet and fitness between different social classes and in certain habits like smoking. “There are often major inequalities in access to health care according to social class. The problem becomes what Tudor Hart once called an 'inverse care law'; that those people in the worst health receive the least services.” (J Tudor Hart, 1971). Efforts have been made to introduce better housing, benefits and education about diet by the government but still there are inequalities in the health of the UK, poverty being the leading example. People who are living in poverty are living unhealthy lifestyles which lead to health care issues such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and stress. The Black Report 1980 talks about inequalities in the UK, the report says that although overall the health in the UK had improved since the introduction of the NHS, there were widespread health inequalities. The Marmot Review 2010 looks into the differences in health and well-being between social classes. The review found people living in poverty