The Black Report
Level of description
Item
Reference code
A.2026.0004
Date
August 1980
Extent and medium
One volume
paper and ink
paper and ink
Administrative / Biographical History
In August 1980 the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security published the Report of the Working Group on Inequalities in Health, also known as the Black Report (after chairman Sir Douglas Black, President of the Royal College of Physicians). The Report showed in great detail the extent of which ill-health and death are unequally distributed among the population of Britain, and suggested that these inequalities have been widening rather than diminishing since the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948. The Report concluded that these inequalities were not mainly attributable to failings in the NHS, but rather to many other social inequalities influencing health: income, education, housing, diet, employment, and conditions of work. In consequence, the Report recommended a wide strategy of social policy measures to combat inequalities in health. These findings and recommendations were virtually disowned by the then Secretary of State for Social Services, very few copies of the Report were printed, and few people had the opportunity to read it. The Black Report is an important document that deserves wide attention and debate. This summary and comment is intended to give greater access to its evidence, arguments, conclusions, and recommendations.
Scope and content
Report of the working group on inequalities in health published by the State for Social Services. Chapter contents include:
- concepts of health and inequality
- the evidence of inequalities in health
- trends in inequalities in health
- the evidence for inequality in health service availability and use
- health inqualities: international comparisons
- explanation of health inqualities
- the need for additional information and research
- policies to reduce the inequalities in health (planning)
- policies to reduce health inequalities (wider strategy)
- summary and recommendations
- concepts of health and inequality
- the evidence of inequalities in health
- trends in inequalities in health
- the evidence for inequality in health service availability and use
- health inqualities: international comparisons
- explanation of health inqualities
- the need for additional information and research
- policies to reduce the inequalities in health (planning)
- policies to reduce health inequalities (wider strategy)
- summary and recommendations
Conditions governing access
Available for research. Technically a published document and was later re-published again.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright.
Language
Typed English.