TAQ1
a) Key milestones in the development of the UK health/social care services
Over the last decade, the UK’s health and social care services have experienced key developmental milestones. The notable milestones are the development of the National Health Service (NHS), the Care Act 2014, andthe Demos Commission on Residential Care. The NHS was founded in 1948, and it is a publicly funded national healthcare system for England (Klein, 2010). The NHS is tax-funded and operated by the Department of Health. The primary role of tHS England has been to offer healthcare and social care to all legal English residents. Under the NHS, people receive services, including emergency treatment (Klein, 2010). The rationale for the development of the NHS was to ensure that people have access to affordable health care, regardless of socio-economic status (NHS, 2015). Basically, the NHS in England is almost free for all UK residents, except for some fees such as dental services, optical services, and prescriptions.
Demos Commission on Residential Care was launched in 2013 with the aim of examining the future of the residential care sector. The recommendations proposed aimed at making the health and social care sector compatible with the complex health care needs of the fast-growing ageing population, as well as the higher numbers of the younger population with complex health needs (Political Lobbying and Media Relations, 2014). In addition, the 2013 Commission on Residential Care was developed to create a vision for residential care,e and existing residential care could provide patient-centred care achieved under the Care Act 2014.
The Care Act 2014 is a representation of significant legislative change in the UK. The law has been fundamental to social care, re and it replaced outdated and confusing social and health care laws. This seminal piece of legislation provides a requirement for local authorities in the UK to deliver social care that is based on individual needs, instead of the general provision that existed previously (Barnes, Boland, Linhart & Wilson, 2017). Thus, the Care Act 2014 ia s person-centred approach and has been more beneficial to persons in need of social care services. The Act also promotes additional health and social care incorporation and makes it a responsibility of the local authorities to undertake their support and care functions with the intention of integrating services with the ones offered by the NHS, as well as other health-associated services (Barnes et al., 2017). The reason for the integration has been to provide the best as well as the most cost-effective care for persons based on their personal health needs.
b) How health & social care provision has developed in the UK
Health and social care provision in the UK has undergone significant development. For example, since the development of the NHS, Cancer and cardiac outcomes are better; patient satisfaction is much higher; and waits are shorter (NHS, 2014). Subsequently, over the past 15 years, the NHS has reduced early deaths from heart disease in the UK by more than 40%. In addition, avoidable deaths have, in general,l decreased by 20%, while over160, 000 health care professionals have been introduced to reduce the admission rates (NHS, 2014).
Through the Care Act 2014, the local councils in England are now able to make arrangements for care for both self-funded and council-funded users. Subsequently, the quality of life and health care outcomes have been improved. Both the Care Act 2014 and the Demos Commission on Residential Care have been effective in improving social and health care in the UK. For instance, persons receiving support and care from an arranged and regulated provider are covered under the Human Rights Act (Barnes et al., 2017). The Care Act 2014 has been a significant achievement, while the NHS spending has also been significantly protected in order to protect effective social care for older people (Humphries, 2015).
c) How health & social care is linked to social factors
Health and social care are closely linked to social factors. For example, poverty among the people ensures that there is no adequate income required to access health and social care (Monnie, 2006). Older people in the lower classes die early, below the age of 6,5 because they cannot access adequate health and social care services. Education is linked to health since low levels oeducational attainmenton are linked with poor health, especially in adult life (Monnie, 2006). In the UK, the level of education is directly associated individual'sual level of economic participation, as well as their prospects for income and employment (Borooah & Mangan, 2008: p. 351). For example, the unemployment rate in the UK was 6.2% in 2014, while Hackney Borough has been ranked within the top ten percent of the most economically deprived boroughs in the UK (Hackney Council, 2014). These figures are directly related to access to health and social care by older people and those in need in the UK.
TAQ2
a) Focus on a particular group that may experience inequality.
Health inequalities are described by NICE (2012) as the differences between groups of people as a result of social, biological, geographical,l or other factors. The social and economic determinants of health, including employment, income, environment, and education, can result in inequalities in health. Additionally, inequalities in health care are distributed by gender, social class, and ethnicity (NICE, 2012). Historically, socio-economic inequalities have been experienced in health and social care in the UK. Health outcomes are, in general, worsened with the level of socioeconomic disadvantage. Gender has been associated with health inequalities, whereby one gender is linked with more health problems compared to the other (Matthews, 2015). For example, in terms of gender, males in England face more health inequalities compared to women and children. For instance, a 2013 study by the Global Burden of Disease established that males who were living in the deprived regions of the UK had low life expectancy compared to those living in the regions that are least deprived (Matthews, 2015). Because of the health inequalities in the UK, men tend to die early compared to women. In addition, women have considerably lower mortality rates compared to men in the UK because they can easily access health and social care (Matthews, 2015). Nonetheless, the factthat women are placed at the lower end of the economic scale compared to men can result in health inequalities between women and men.
b) How 2 different Health and Social Care models can be used to explain this inequality
Inequalities in health and social care in terms of social class can be explained through the behavioural model and the materialist models. For example, the behavioural model explains that social class differences, such as dietary choices, alcohol and tobacco use, and use of immunisation, can explain health inequalities (Bartley & Blane, 2008). For example, differences in health behaviour can be used to explain why people in low social classes,s regardless of gender, have limited access to health and social care. In addition, because of their behaviour, some people in the lower socio-economic class have higher mortality rates and lower life expectancy. Poor eating and dietary habits of people living in poverty expose them to an array of health issues, such as diabe tesmaterialistlistt model explains that Poverty among people exposes them to health hazards. According to Bartley (2004), disadvantaged persons tend to live in regions that expose them to harm. Women and children living in damp areas and housing have higher rates of respiratory diseases than those living in better areas. In the UK, reasonably disadvantaged persons are covered under the NHS and receive different forms of state help (Bartley & Blane, 2008). However, women compared to men are placed at the lower spectrum of socio-economic scale in terms of employment and income. Subsequently, women tend to have higher health care disparities when compared to men (Bartley, 2004). Men are more likely to be employed than women, and this can explain the differences in health inequalities.
c) How culture can contribute to inequalities in Health and Social Care.
Culture is a concept that is used to explain the social norms and behaviours present in human societies. Culture is the knowledge and characteristics of a specific group of persons, comprising f religion, language, social habits, beliefs, and values. In reference to health care, culture is linked to the inequalities present in health and social care. Ethnic groups in the UK are characterised by cultural boundaries that contribute to inequalities experienced in health and social care. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2007) explained that social and health inequalities vary as a result of different cultural contexts, and it is therefore imperative to have an understanding of culture's influence. From a cultural perspective, men are perceived to be stronger than women. However, women are more likely to seek medical care and expert opinion when compared to men, hence the health inequalities. The culture also requires males to be the providers, and this can expose them to depression, especially when they are unable to provide for their families. Cultural differences make it hard for minority groups to seek health care that meets individual health demands (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2007). This is because cultural differences are linked to variation in beliefs and values that must be considered when providing patient-centered care.
References List
Barnes, D., Boland, B., Linhart, K., & Wilson, K. (2017). Personalisation and social care assessment – the Care Act 2014. BJPsych Bulletin, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 176–180.
Bartley M, & Blane D (2008). Inequality and social class. Elsevier Limited.
Bartley M (2004). Health inequality: an introduction to theories, concepts, and methods. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Borooah, VK & Mangan, J (2008), 'Education, occupational class and unemployment in the regions of the United Kingdom', Education Economics, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 351-370.
Hackney Council 2014c, Unemployment, Deprivation and Benefits.
Humphries, R (2015) ‘Health and social care for older people: progress, problems and priorities', Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 16, no.1, pp. 27-31,
Klein, R (2010). The New Politics of the NHS: From creation to reinvention. Radcliffe Publishing.
Matthews D (2015) Sociology in nursing 3: how gender influences health inequalities. Nursing Times; vol.111, no. 43, pp. 21-23.
Monnie, D. (2005). GCE Health and Social Care for Edexcel, AS double award. Oxford, Heinemann.
National Health Service (2012). Health inequalities and population health.
National Health Service (2014). National Health Service-Five Year Forward View.
National Health Service (2016).The NHS in England.
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2007). Ethnicity and Health.
Political Lobbying and Media Relations. (2014), Reflections On Health And Social Care – 4 Key Milestones Of 2014.
