ABSTRACT
Good fortune in health is more often by design than by accident. Health is usually the outcome of the lives people lead and the conditions into which they are born and grow. Health inequalities mean that if you are poor you may become ill at a younger age, suffer more years in poor health and die earlier than those with more resources.
This chapter explores further:
Health inequalities and inequities.
Life expectancy, health life expectancy and what influences them.
The complex social determinants of health and how they can be seen shaping health and well-being.
How the gradient in deprivation means that all are affected, though with variation in impact along the scale.
How these affect the primary care consultation.
How changes can be affected to improve outcomes.
