creating a good public health country - hearts and minds into practice

“There is no Plan B”- George Osborne

“There is no alternative”- Olli Rehn

Real choices

Source: ONS 2014

Red = reduced spending Blue = increased spending

Document harms

Work Capability Assessments per 100,000

Ris

e in

ant

i-dep

ress

ant p

resc

riptio

nspe

r 100

,000

Source: Barr et al 2016

Speak up

• “not able to manage their finances” (Michael Gove, Education Minister)

• “[Food bank use can] become a habit” (Paul Maynard, Conservative MP)

• “food from a food bank is by definition a free good and there’s almost infinite demand” (Lord Freud, Conservative minister)

• “have more money to spend on alcohol, cigarettes” (Coun Steward, Conservative councillor)

• Trussell Trust is “Scaremongering” (Iain Duncan Smith, Work & Pensions minister)

the data

Source: Loopstra et al BMJ 2015

Not everyone agrees• “leaps in where they had got

the facts and figures, and they came to the conclusion [we] wanted to come to”

• citing internal DWP report

‘Who is responsible for the UK debt?’

Trade Unions

European Union

Banks

Labour Party

‘Who is responsible for the UK debt?’

Trade Unions

European Union

Banks

Labour Party

10%

30%

55%

60%

Yes, economic debates too

“We underestimated the negative effect of austerity on employment and spending power”

Fiscal multiplier assumed: 0.5

Actual multiplier: 1.7

investing in health

Source: Reeves et al 2013

Finding Solutions

“Despite our financial and economic anxieties, we are still able to do the most civilized thing in the world – put the welfare of the sick in front of every other consideration”

Aneurin Bevan, 1948

Our History

Total Debt in the UK% of GDP

National Health Service founded, 1948

Listen

Source: British Social Attitudes 2012

Twitter: @davidstuckler

Email: david.stuckler@chch.ox.ac.uk

Appendix Slides

New New Deal

1. ‘First do no harm’

2. Help work return to people

3. Invest in the public’s health

Dr. Aaron ReevesDr. Jasmine FledderjohannDr. Gregori Galofre-Vila*Dr. Rachel LoopstraDr. Paulo Serodio*

Dr. Amy ClairDr. Joana LimaDr. Veronica Toffalutti*Ms. Pepita Barlow*Mrs. Jane Greig

*- not shown