Last time Britain was this sick, drastic action was taken. This time, politicians don’t seem to care (The Guardian, 18 August 2023)

Summary

The UK is the “sick man” of Europe at the moment—on almost every health indicator including life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, obesity rates and healthcare capacity—we lag behind our peers. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows the substantial impact this is having on our national prosperity. The number of people who cannot work primarily because of long-term illness reached a record nearly 2.6 million.

In this article for The Guardian, Professor Dame Sally Davies, former chief medical officer for England, argues that this is not the first time the UK has lagged behind on health outcomes and faced the associated economic harm. During the 19th-century Industrial Revolution and the 20th-century post-war period, Britain faced health crises that, like today’s, also undermined labour supply, economic participation and growth. She highlights that in both of these instances, national leaders implemented bold new public health strategies on both health and economic grounds and asks the question, 'Why is the Government not taking a more comprehensive policy approach to tackling the serious health issues we face in 2023?'