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Cover Social Murder?

Social Murder?

Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK

Restricted access
Authors:
David Walsh
and
Gerry McCartney

Combining robust evidence with real-life stories, this book reveals the shocking impact of austerity policies on life expectancy and offers an optimistic vision of what can be done to restore life expectancy and reduce health inequality.

Publisher:
Policy Press
Publication Date:
28 Nov 2024
Online ISBN:
9781447373100
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447373100
Restricted access
  • Table of Contents
  • Description
  • Author/Editor Details
  • Book Information
Front Matter
Front Matter
Michael
1: Introduction
Rachel
2: What happened in the UK?
Frances
3: Why have mortality rates and life expectancy changed in the UK?
Paul
4: What happened to life expectancy in other countries, and why?
Moira
5: How did governments and agencies respond to the life expectancy crisis?
Ellen
6: What else is relevant for understanding the changed life expectancy trends?
David
7: What do we need to do?
Back Matter
Summary of the causal evidence that austerity has led to the mortality trend changes
Notes and references
Index

Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in. And in the early 2010s, after decades of continual improvement, life expectancy in the UK, USA and many other rich countries stopped increasing. For millions of people it actually declined. Despite hundreds of thousands of extra deaths, governments and officials remained silent.

Combining robust evidence with real-life stories, this book tells the story of how austerity policies caused this scandal. It argues that this shocking and tragic suffering was predictable, caused by a dereliction of duty from those in power.

The book concludes with an optimistic vision of what can be done to restore life expectancy improvements and reduce health inequalities.

David Walsh is Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow and previously Programme Manager at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.

Gerry McCartney is Professor of Wellbeing Economy at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at both Public Health Scotland and NHS Grampian.

Author/Editor details at time of book publication.

Copyright:
© Bristol University Press 2025
Hardback ISBN:
9781447373070
Paperback ISBN:
9781447373087
ePub ISBN:
9781447373094
Online ISBN:
9781447373100
Page Extent:
238
Keywords:
Austerity; Life expectancy; Mortality; Poverty; Politics; Policy; Economics
Global Social Challenges:
Health and Wellbeing, Poverty, Inequality and Social Justice
Sustainable Development Goals:
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Subject:
Business, Management and Economics, Health, Education and Welfare Economics, Health and Social Care, Health Inequalities, Politics and International Relations, Public Policy and Administration, Social and Public Policy, Health Policy, Poverty and Inequality, Social Justice and Human Rights, Social Justice, Tackling Health Inequalities
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