Place as a Determinate of Health: Views From the UK

In the UK we have some astounding geographical differences in health, in large part explained by variations in the social determinants of health, but not wholly so explained. Certainly, they are not explained simply by issues of access to universal health care, which has been a right of all UK citizens since 1948. This presentation will describe geographical effects in the UK and will begin to explore these differences, such as, for example, the infamous ‘Glasgow effect’ whereby some parts of Glasgow have life expectancy up to a century behind much of the rest of the UK. The causes seem to go beyond the well-known determinants into reasons that are not yet fully understood. And in England we have – and will demonstrate – excellent information that can accurately describe geographical differences. But just identifying geographical differences is of little use unless we can address them, bringing the experience of the worst areas up towards the experience of the best. This session will explore some initiatives to tackle geographical differences in health and wellbeing experience in the UK and their potential relevance to the US.