Resource Library: Health Foundation

Health is our most precious asset. Good health and wellbeing enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives and frees us up to achieve our potential. It fuels our prosperity – a healthy and productive labour force is the engine that powers our economy. And it helps to build a stronger society by enabling us to play a full part in family life, make social connections and contribute to our communities. 

Our health is shaped by a range of factors including our early life, the work we do and the income we earn, the education we receive and the homes and places we live in. The health and care system should support good health and wellbeing by enabling everyone to access the high-quality treatment, care and support they need, when they need it.  

Yet, good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK. Improvements in life expectancy have slowed. We compare poorly with other leading nations on some important aspects of our health, such as cancer and heart disease. Deep inequalities in health between our poorest and wealthiest communities have widened. Meanwhile, health and care services are under huge pressure and struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care. 

It doesn’t have to be like this. By valuing our health as an asset, investing in health and care services and focusing on the wider factors that shape our health and drive inequalities, we can build a healthier nation.

About the Health Foundation - The Health Foundation