Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 31 January 2018.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I look forward also to looking at the latest CMO report out today, but I'd like to refer to the last report, 'Rebalancing healthcare: Working in partnership to reduce social inequity', which draws attention to a major global theme that many health problems demonstrate a strong social gradient, and there's a higher prevalence of illness and early death in more economically disadvantaged groups and areas. Indeed, Professor Marmot, earlier this week, I heard was emphasising this point. I know that you've met Professor Marmot in a former capacity in terms of your role tackling poverty in Wales. Of equal relevance, of course, for the Welsh Government is the inverse care law, the principle that the availability of good medical or social care tends to vary inversely with the needs of the population served. This principle was proposed by south Wales GP Dr Julian Tudor Hart, and has been widely adopted as a steer for health policy. Can the Cabinet Secretary identify how he is addressing the need to reduce social inequity in health status and health provision in Wales?