Making Health Public

A public health crisis is gripping the UK. Improvements in life expectancy have stalled, health inequalities have widened, obesity and alcohol misuse are placing an increasing strain on health services and urban air pollution is now widely recognised as a serious health hazard. COVID-19 revealed the weaknesses of the UK's public health system, once thought to be among the best in the world.

Against this background, this book examines the organisational and political barriers to an effective public health system showcased through the UK. It urges that what is needed is a new social contract, in which health policy is truly public.

Peter Littlejohns is Emeritus Professor of Public Health at King’s College London and the founding Clinical and Public Health Director of NICE. He has published widely on public health policy.

David J. Hunter is Emeritus Professor of Health Policy and Management at Newcastle University and Emeritus Professor in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University. He is author of many works in health policy.

Albert Weale is Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy at University College London and author of many works in health policy.

Jacqueline Johnson is Public Health and Management Consultant who has over 10 years of experience in international, regional and local public health measurement and evaluation, project management and programme governance.

Toslima Khatun is Postdoctoral Researcher, Member of the Research Executive Board for the NIHR and a teaching fellow at King’s College London.