Black Report
Encyclopedia
The Black report was a 1980 document published by the Department of Health and Social Security
(now the Department of Health
) in the United Kingdom
, which was the report of the expert committee into health inequality chaired by Sir Douglas Black
. It was demonstrated that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state
, there were widespread health inequalities. It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was economic inequality. The report showed that the death rate for men in social class V was twice that for men in social class I and that gap between the two was increasing, not reducing as was expected.
The Black report was commissioned in March 1977 by David Ennals
, Labour Secretary of State, following publication of a two-page article by Richard G. Wilkinson in New Society, on 16 December 1976, entitled Dear David Ennals. The report was nearly ready for publication in early 1979.
However, in the General Election on 3 May 1979
, the Conservatives were elected. The Black Report was not issued until 1980 by the Conservative Government. The Black report was published on August Bank Holiday with only 260 copies made available on the day for the media. However, the report had a huge impact on political thought in the United Kingdom and overseas. It led to an assessment by the Office for Economic Co-Operation and Development and the World Health Organization of health inequalities in 13 countries—though not on UK government policy .
Penguin Books
published a shortened version of the Report in 1982, making it widely available
The Whitehead Report published in 1987 came to the same conclusions as the Black report, as did the Acheson Report
later in 1998, and the Marmot Review in 2010.
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
(now the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which was the report of the expert committee into health inequality chaired by Sir Douglas Black
Douglas Black
Sir Douglas Andrew Kilgour Black, was a physician in the United Kingdom, famous as the author of the Black Report.He was born in Shetland in 1913, and studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, graduating with MB ChB in 1933.He conducted research into water loss and...
. It was demonstrated that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
, there were widespread health inequalities. It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was economic inequality. The report showed that the death rate for men in social class V was twice that for men in social class I and that gap between the two was increasing, not reducing as was expected.
The Black report was commissioned in March 1977 by David Ennals
David Ennals, Baron Ennals
David Hedley Ennals, Baron Ennals PC was a British Labour Party politician and campaigner for human rights...
, Labour Secretary of State, following publication of a two-page article by Richard G. Wilkinson in New Society, on 16 December 1976, entitled Dear David Ennals. The report was nearly ready for publication in early 1979.
However, in the General Election on 3 May 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, the Conservatives were elected. The Black Report was not issued until 1980 by the Conservative Government. The Black report was published on August Bank Holiday with only 260 copies made available on the day for the media. However, the report had a huge impact on political thought in the United Kingdom and overseas. It led to an assessment by the Office for Economic Co-Operation and Development and the World Health Organization of health inequalities in 13 countries—though not on UK government policy .
Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
published a shortened version of the Report in 1982, making it widely available
The Whitehead Report published in 1987 came to the same conclusions as the Black report, as did the Acheson Report
Acheson Report
The Acheson Report, fully titled the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report, was a report published in 1998 by a United Kingdom inquiry headed by Donald Acheson....
later in 1998, and the Marmot Review in 2010.