Never mind the targets, feel the policies

The government’s strategy for public health in England, Our healthier nation, has predictably come under fire for failing to set a target for a reduction in health inequalities. Already the pundits are comparing the ‘target lite’ green paper with its full-fat predecessor, the ‘classic’ Health of the Nation.

But at some point in the last five years, the new approach to public management turned us all into target junkies. We became confused. We loved the targets so much we forgot to look at the policies. And the truth is that while the Health of the Nation targets promised us all kinds of wonderful improvements in health, government policies in a wide range of areas actively worked against the health of millions of people.

Targets are fine – but they aren’t action, they aren’t change and by themselves, they will do nothing. It’s time to wake up and look at the policies. And we have to be blunt about this. Inequalities in health result from inequalities in wealth. So let’s have a target on reducing wealth inequality.

No, strike that. Let’s have some policies to reduce wealth inequality.