Joined-Up Solutions to Address Health Inequalities: Analysing Policy, Process and Resource Streams

Abstract

New Labour argues that its ‘new NHS’ will achieve the traditional goal of fairness using the modern NHS means of partnership and co-operation. The authors examine the issue of reducing inequalities in health using the framework of policy, process and resource streams. While the policy stream is a little muddy, the process and resource streams are more opaque. In particular, there are concerns about technical and political feasibility, and little apparent attention to issues of opportunity costs and trade-offs. The low priority given to health inequalities is reflected in the resource stream, where there are also issues of accountability and budgetary slack. The authors argue that the limited confluence of the streams is unlikely to lead to a sea-change in the level of health inequalities.