ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the policy process relating to health inequalities (HI), an area of political interest and visibility in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It deals with the current policy context in the United Kingdom as it applies to HI and inter-agency working. Policy imperatives denote the strength of the policies emanating from central government and their transmission to the local levels – the vertical dimension. The chapter provides the conceptual models of policy windows and policy failure. It presents empirical evidence from three case studies collated between September and December 1999. The chapter also presents empirical evidence of the ways in which three health authorities have been translating national policies into local action and engaging with local agencies in implementing such policies. It concludes by making assessments of the value of the models used and the lessons that can be learnt from health authorities' strategies.
