Abstract
It has never been a more exciting time to study the health policy cycle (design, implementation and evaluation) and there have never been more secondary resources at the researcher’s disposal, for example - data, theory and opinion. This makes for a more engaging and multi-faceted exploration though it can feel a little daunting. Focusing analysis on the contents of policies alone may seem to remove some of this complexity but it can leave the researcher with an irreconcilable set of aims, agendas and results, and a limited understanding of an issue. Policies are constructed within contested local, national and elite domains, and health is no exception.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Agger, B. (2006) Critical Social Theories: An Introduction, 2nd edn. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.
Attree, P. (2006) ‘A critical analysis of UK public health policies in relation to diet and nutrition in low-income households’, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2(2): 67–78.
Ball, L., Okasheh, R., and Whitfield, M. (2009) Summary Evaluation of the North East Lincolnshire Health Trainer Service 2007–2009. Lincoln: NHS
Bambra, C., Gibson, M., Sowden, A., Wright, K., Whitehead, M., and Petticrew, M. (2010) ‘Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities: evidence from systematic reviews’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 64(4): 284–91.
Barton, G.R., Goodall, M., Bower, P., Woolf, S., Capewell, S., and Gabbay, M.B. (2012) ‘Increasing heart-health lifestyles in deprived communities: economic evaluation of lay health trainers’, Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 18(4): 835–840
Blackman, T., Harrington, B., Elliott, E., Greene, A., Hunter, D.J., Marks, L., McKee, L., and Williams, G. (2012) ‘Framing health inequalities for local intervention: comparative case studies’, Sociology of Health & Illness, 34(1): 49–63.
Cameron, D. (2010a) ‘Let’s mend our broken society’, Conservative Party website http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/04/David_Cameron_Lets_mend_our_broken_society.aspx, accessed 12 February 2012.
Cameron, D. (2010b) ‘David Cameron’s conservative conference speech in full’, The Telegraph on-line, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8046342/David-Camerons Conservative-conference-speech-in- full.ht, accessed 23 February 2012.
Carr S, Lhussier M, Forster N, Geddes L, Deane K, et al. (2011) ‘An evidence synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research on component intervention techniques, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, equity and acceptability of different versions of health-related lifestyle advisor role in improving health’, in Health Technology Assessment, NIHR HTA programme. Southampton: National Institute for Health Research
Clarke, J. Gewirtz, S., and McLaughlin, E. (eds) (2000) New Managerialism, New Welfare? London: Open University in association with SAGE Publications.
Coote, A. and Franklin, J. (2010) ‘Transforming welfare: new economics, New Labour and the new Tories’, New Economics Foundation (online) http://www.politiquessociales.net/IMG/pdf/Transforming_Welfare.pdf, accessed 12January 2012.
Cutler, T. and Waine, B. (2000) ‘Managerialism reformed? New labour and public sector management’, Social Policy & Administration, 34(3): 318–32.
Davies, H. and Tavakoli, M. (2004) Health Care Policy, Performance and Finance: Strategic Issues in Health Care Management. Surrey: Ashgate.
Department of Health (DoH) (1999) Saving lives: Our Healthier Nation. London: Department of Health.
Department of Health (DoH) (2004) Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier. London: Department of Health.
Department of Health (DoH) (2008) Press Release-health Trainers. Department of Health Publications and Statistics.
European Heart Network (2008) European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2008 Edition. Brussels: European Heart Network.
Farnsworth, K. and Irving, Z. (eds) (2011) Social Policy in Challenging Times: Economic Crisis and Welfare Systems. Bristol: Policy Press.
Gould, M. (2009) ‘Can health trainers reduce poor health?’, Health Service Journal. http://www.hsj.co.uk/resource-centre/can-health-trainers-reduce-poor- health/2007724.article, accessed 12.1.2013
Hossain, M., Abbas, B., Rahman, K.A., and Iyorlumun, U. (2004) ‘Community development and its impact on health: South Asian experience’, British Medical Journal, 328(7443): 830–3.
Katikireddi, S.V., Higgins, M., Bond, L., Bonell, C., and Macintyre, S. (2011) ‘How evidence based is English public health policy?’, British Medical Journal (online) http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7310, accessed 1 February 2012.
Luengo-Fernandez, R., Leal, J., Gray, A., Petersen, S., and Rayner, M. (2006) ‘Cost of cardiovascular diseases in the United Kingdom’, Heart, 92(10): 1384–9.
Marmot, M. (2005) ‘Social determinants of health inequalities’, The Lancet, 365(9464): 1099–104.
Marmot, M. (2010) ‘Interim first report on social determinants of health and the health divide in the WHO European Region’, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Scherfigsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen 0, Denmark: World Health Organization.
Marmot, M. (2011) ‘Social Determinants of Health-framing the future of health care in Europe’, in The Future of Healthcare in Europe Conference. London: University College London.
Martindale, A.-M. (2006) ‘Mainstreaming learning from the children’s fund: as easy as A, B, C?’, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 28(1): 47–57.
Meah, S. and Guest, S. (2010) An Evaluation of the Health Trainer Service across Greater Manchester. Salford: Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts.
Perkins, N., Smith, K., Hunter, D.J., Bambra, C., and Joyce, K. (2010) ‘“What counts is what works?” New labour and partnerships in public health’, Policy & Politics, 38(1): 101–17.
Personal Communication, 17 March 2009.
Petticrew, M., Whitehead, M., Macintyre, S.J., Graham, H., and Egan, M. (2004) ‘Evidence for public health policy on inequalities: 1: The reality according to policymakers’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 58(10): 811–16.
Pollitt, C. (1993) ‘Occasional excursions: a brief history of policy evaluation in the UK’, Parliamentary Affairs, 46(3): 353–62.
Shaheen, F. (2011) ‘Ten reasons to care about economic inequality’, New Economics Foundation (online), http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/Ten_Reasons_to_Care_About_Economic_Inequality_0.pdf, accessed 15 January 2012.
Sinfield, A. (2011) ‘Credit crunch, inequality and social policy’, in K. Farnsworth and Z. Irving (eds) Social Policy in Challenging Times: Economic Crisis and Welfare Systems (Chapter 4, pp. 65–80). Bristol: Policy Press.
Smith, J, Gardner, B., and Michie, S. (2010) Health Trainers National End of Year Report: 2008–09. London: University College London.
South, J., Woodward, J., and Lowcock, D. (2007) ‘New beginnings: stakeholder perspectives on the role of health trainers’, The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 127(5): 224–30.
Sullivan, H. (2011) ‘“Truth” junkies: using evaluation in UK public policy’, Policy & Politics, 39(4): 499–512.
Taylor, D. and Balloch, S. (eds) (2005) The Politics of Evaluation: Participation and Policy Implementation. Bristol: Policy Press.
Taylor-Gooby, P. and Stoker, G. (2011) ‘The coalition programme: a new vision for Britain or politics as usual?’, The Political Quarterly, 82(1): 4–15.
Trayers, T. and Lawlor, D.A. (2007) ‘Bridging the gap in health inequalities with the help of health trainers: a realistic task in hostile environments? A short report for debate’, Journal of Public Health, 29(3): 218–21.
Unger, J.P., de Paepe, P. and Ghilbert, P. (2004) ‘Health in South Asia: community worker programmes may be occasional local solution’, British Medical Journal, 328(7454): 1497–8.
Vishram, S. and Drinkwater, C. (2005) Health Trainers: A Review of the Evidence. Northumbria: Northumbria University.
Whitehead, M. and Popay, J. (2010) ‘Swimming upstream? Taking action on the social determinants of health inequalities’, Social Science & Medicine, 71(7): 1234–6.
Wiggan, J. (2011) Something Old and Blue or Red, Bold and New?: Welfare Reform Under the Coalition Government. Bristol: Policy Press.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2013 Anne-Marie Martindale
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Martindale, AM. (2013). The UK Health Trainer Initiative: Critical Contexts. In: Petrie, S. (eds) Controversies in Policy Research. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230390836_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230390836_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-35138-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-39083-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)