Conversely, many would make a case that these factors can be thwarted by the varying medical amenities in working class and muddle and upper class districts. There is considerable evidence that superior doctors are more likely to seek employment in middle and upper class areas owing to better equipment and working environments. In addition, working class areas tend to have significantly less medical centres than their middle class counterparts.
Another vastly significant factor to be considered is the Governments position in this. Harold MacMillan, the leader of the Labour Party after World War Two announced that people were to have assistance,
“From the cradle to the grave.”
This would insinuate that everyone is born equal and will die equal and this is a very legitimate argument. It is also backed up in The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. In Article 25 it clearly states,
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care”
This shows that everyone is entitled to equal levels of health care, which everyone is. Nevertheless, many would dispute this alleged lifetime equilibrium. Everyone is entitled to free medical treatment but due to the ever expanding private sector, the middle and upper classes are more likely to have the funds for private health care and thus the health inequalities intensify. Also, the middle and upper classes are more likely to be living in larger houses which are not filled to capacity. Overcrowding in homes of lower classes is a genuine problem and is a factor in the spreading of in the airborne diseases. Hence, could the middle and upper classes not be perceived to be in better health than the lower classes?
Another extremely convincing contention is that advancements in medical science over the previous few decades have annulled any inequalities which may have been present. In 1974 twenty two babies per thousand born died in the course of infancy. In 1987 this figure had decreased to nine babies per thousand born. Additionally, life expectancy has increased and certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, have been effectively wiped out. This would imply that health has improved in all classes and consequently no inequalities exist.
Alternatively, numerous illnesses are now very common, such as heart disease, cancer, and alcoholism, which is proven to be more common amongst working class people. Lifestyle is considered a colossal causative factor in health,
“lifestyle is probably the most important factor influencing health”
This issue expands the inequalities as on any one day eight hundred beds in Scottish hospitals are occupied by patients being treated for the mistreatment of alcohol and investigations have shown that the preponderance of these people are of lower and working class backgrounds. Furthermore, there is sizeable substantiation confirming that lower income groups tend to smoke more, drink more, eat more fatty foods and take less exercise. Thus amplifying any health inequalities there may be.
To conclude, there are many arguments to be considered in this debate such as stress levels, medical advancements, lifestyle, and the Governments role. For each one there is a significant argument that inequalities do exist and an equally valid argument that there are no such inequalities. Consequently a degree of balance is created in this argument which will probably remain in years to come.
