NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Development of Social Policy DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH CARE POLICY The development of health care policy in the last one hundred years has been shaped by many factors. These factors are social, economic and political and include poverty, de-industrialisation and different political ideologies. Social attitudes changed over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and were the main driving force for the development of health care policies. In the early 1900 s attitudes were changing and people were becoming more aware of social conditions within the country. The Boer War and the two World Wars had shown politicians that the country was poor, unfit and extremely unhealthy.
Unemployment was rising and more and more people were becoming dependant on help from the state. At this time we had the political influence of a Liberal Government whos ideals described as social democratic, would give rise to the health service. Social democratic ideals concerning health care were that care should be available on a needs basis rather than for those who could afford it and should be provided by the state. They believed that all people should be free from poverty. The social democrats thought that its people were the governments responsibility to look after. This ideology led to Labour exchanges and National Insurance being set up in 1911 to help those who were sick and out of work.
Women were given the vote and they helped to highlight social conditions of the nation. Poverty was rife and was a drain on the economy, and was one of the main reasons the population was so unfit and unhealthy as we will see later. In 1942 Beveridge produced a report that was designed to counter the five social giants of idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor and want. The report was lengthy and considered the whole question of social insurance, arguing that want could be abolished by a system of social security organised for the individual by the state. Beveridge recommended the establishment of a national health service, national insurance, assistance and family allowances. He also stressed the importance of full employment.
Although not entirely as Beveridge wished, a newly elected Labour government, adopted measures that formed the basis of the British Welfare State. These measures that were introduced included a comprehensive social insurance policy that covered unemployment, sickness, maternity, and widows benefits. Pensions, childrens and guardians allowances were also available. A free national health service, training and industrial injuries schemes were set up. Full employment became government policy. Together these developments created the welfare state, a system of social security guaranteeing a minimum level of health and social services.
Ideally the welfare state aimed to relive poverty, reduce inequality and achieve greater social integration. In many respects this has had a great influence on peoples lives, people are living longer, are healthier and standards of living have improved. The welfare state has failed to give full employment or eradicate poverty. Poverty is still in existence today in Britain and is a financial drain on the Welfare state. Poverty has changed over the years with a shift from mostly absolute poverty to relative poverty. The early 1900 s saw many people living without proper shelter unable to feed or clothe themselves this is absolute poverty.
The introduction of the welfare state has helped to reduce absolute poverty in so much as today it is limited to homeless people. Relative poverty is very high in todays society. Relative poverty is about social exclusion and not having the things that the nation as a whole deems necessary. An example would be not having a television or not being able to go out and socialise. The main reasons for poverty today are vast but include low paid jobs, high unemployment, poor benefits for disabled and sick and increasing numbers of one parent families. A survey in 1992 / 93 found that 25 % of the population i.
e. 14. 1 million people were living in poverty of which most were of ethnic groups, women or lower class. Many of these people were unemployed, on a state pension or in low paid part time work. This led to the conclusion that poverty was mainly caused by three factors. The three factors are access to job market, cost of living (extras e. g. children) and poor policies to deal with them.
Poverty has far reaching effects on the health of the nation as was shown during the wars. Poverty and health are definitely linked and not only are the poor more likely to suffer from ill health and premature death, but poor health and disability are themselves recognised as causes of poverty. Surveys have shown that the majority of people regard the poor as being responsible for their own poverty and are suspicious of those who live for free on government handouts. Many people believe that those on welfare could find work if they were determined to. Income is a key resource for families and the ones with low incomes are least able to afford or have access to good housing, generally live in poor areas with no play facilities for children and have poor access to health, education and leisure services.
Poor incomes dont enable these families to buy the correct foods thought to be important to health (e. g. fresh fruit and vegetables) or to be able to keep their homes dry and warm. Poverty affects the health of people from birth to old age. At almost every age, people in the poorer social classes have higher rates of illness and death than people in the wealthier social classes. Studies of child mortality clearly show a difference in causes of death between the social classes.
Low birth weight in babies is associated with social class and thought to be associated with parental poverty and poor maternal environment rather than the quality of medical care. Childhood death rates from accidents (the largest single cause of death in childhood) are a clear example of how living in a poor area, without safe play areas has a serious consequence on the health of children. The poorer social classes are ill more than their richer counterparts and use the health services more often. Almost all major killer diseases affect manual classes more than non-manual classes and in some instances are twice as high. There are two main explanations for this, which can be seen, as cultural and material.
Cultural explanations look at how health inequalities are rooted in the behaviour and lifestyles of the individual and that those suffering poor health have different attitudes, values and lifestyles which mean they dont look after themselves. Inadequate diet, smoking, drinking and lack of exercise all have direct effects on the health of a person. Low income confines the type of food that poor people can buy and therefore the amount of nutrients an individual can eat. These adults in low-income families continue to smoke and drink excessively or take drugs. Even though these adults know the adverse affects it will have on their health, they continue with this lifestyle because to them it is a way of coping with the everyday stress that living in poverty has on them. Ill health caused by poverty is therefore a drain on the welfare state in costs to the NHS and benefits paid through sickness and disability.
Society has changed over the centaury and has impacted on health policy. Family structure has changed from the nuclear 2 parent and children to stepparent families (reconstituted) and lone parent families. Extended families are fewer as people move away to find work. Divorce rates have also climbed because women have become more independent and have more rights. More women are working and have higher expectations of marriage with less religious meaning behind them. The change in family structure has also had an effect on demographics.
As more women choose careers less and less babies are being born and as a result the birth rate is decreasing. The welfare state has improved living conditions and as a result people are living longer. These two facts will result in an aging population that has far reaching implications. An aging population will result in a greater percentage of state dependant people with less young people to pay for the services. This is a problem, which the Conservative government started to address in the 1980 s, and is continuing for the Labour government today. Economic changes have also contributed to social policy.
Since the setting up of the welfare state Britain has undergone major changes in the types of work available. Britain has lost its National industries e. g. shipbuilding, mining, manufacturing and almost our fishing industry.
These industries have been replaced by service industries like care, retail, finance and leisure industries this is know as de-industrialisation. During the industrial era men brought home a fairly decent wage and had a secure job. Today working within the service industry people are working longer hours for less pay, which has helped to increase poverty. Many jobs are part- time and therefore no national insurance is paid to sustain the welfare state. The costs of the ever-growing health service are increasing all the time.
As already...
Free research essays on topics related to: relative poverty, absolute poverty, living in poverty, system of social, aging population
Research essay sample on Development Of Social Policy Part 1
