Course Catalogue

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This course examines the policy paradox of overall improvements in population health and significant inequalities in life expectancy within a Scottish, UK and international context and explores the causes of inequalities both within and outside the health care system. It addresses questions such as why poorer people die earlier than their richer counterparts. Students will focus on understanding the key influences that shape health care and public health policy particularly within the UK and on critiquing the key impacts of such policy.

One hour weekly lecture

One hour weekly tutorial

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Entry to Honours Social & Public Policy normally requires a grade point average of 12 (grade C3) over Social & Public Policy 2A and 2B (formerly Public Policy 2A and 2B) as a first attempt.

None

None

1 essay of 2500 words (40%)

1 two hour exam (60%)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to provide students with an opportunity to:

■ Develop an awareness of the concepts of health and health inequalities in a Scottish, UK and international context

■ Explore competing explanations of why poorer people die earlier - assessing for example the role of individual behaviours such as smoking and structural constraints like the availability of paid employment

■ Understand how and why a particular health care system (the UK National Health Service) has changed over time and across devolved administrations

■ Demonstrate an awareness of key criteria for developing a comparative perspective on health policy

■ Critically assess the role of health care and public health policies in improving population health and reducing health inequalities

By the end of this course, having attended the lectures and read the accompanying literature, students should be able to:

■ Identify the main trends in health and health inequalities in Scotland, the UK and internationally 

■ Describe the social determinants of health and of health inequalities, and assess different kinds of policies designed to address these determinants (for example how do strategies to change the negative health behaviours of individuals compare with legislative approaches?)

■ Identify some of the major issues in the organisation and delivery of the National Health Service

■ Evaluate the mechanisms by which policies introduced by successive governments have attempted to improve the nature and quality of services provided by the NHS

■ Assess the key differences between the Scottish and Westminster governments' approaches to solving contemporary health problems

■ Utilise a comparative perspective on policy development and implementation

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.