What is it about?
In the UK various studies have sought to implicate austerity policies as the cause of stalling improvements in life expectancy. However, this stalling effect has been observed around the world irrespective of variable austerity policies. From pure coincidence the decade before the financial crash saw lower than average excess winter mortality (EWM) all around the world. From coincidence EWM reverted back to longer-term trends roughly around the time of the financial crash.
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Why is it important?
It is always important to correctly attribute cause and effect. While austerity in the UK did lead to hardship there is limited evidence to say that it was the direct cause of higher deaths.
Perspectives
Clearly your political views can cloud your interpretation of certain trends. My work has challenged the views expressed in many studies on this topic. What has happened is far more complex than a single cause. This is part of a far longer series investigating if austerity was linked to higher deaths in the UK, see http://www.hcaf.biz/2010/Publications_Full.pdf
Dr Rodney P Jones
Healthcare Analysis & Forecasting
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Excess winter mortality and stalling international improvements in life expectancy and mortality rates, British Journal of Healthcare Management, December 2020, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjhc.2020.0020.
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