Essex in London: Social Inequality: Lessons and Challenges

On 24 October 2023 I presented on a panel at Legal & General in London about policy alienation of frontline professionals and social inequality in health and social care

I was delighted to be invited as an expert in public sector management, to offer a public service perspective on social inequality, specifically in the context of health and social care. I talked about my research which recently examined a phenomenon called ‘policy alienation’ which occurs when frontline public professionals feel disconnected from the policies they are tasked with implementing and the core purpose of their daily work. I explained that in recent years, various health and care policies have aimed to address social inequality, including the recent initiative to integrate care within communities. However, in my research, I noticed a recurring pattern where policies initially prioritise enhancing patient experience and fostering more inclusive care, but eventually shift their focus towards cost savings and efficiency gains. 

We ask employees to do more with less, leading to work intensification and more siloed working. When we prioritise data over people, front line employees feel powerless to implement policy. This is significant for several reasons, not least because front line health and care workers are best positioned to address social inequality. They understand the challenges and concerns of local community members and may even experience some of these inequalities themselves. Moreover, when front line employees lack motivation or are not empowered to use their discretion, inequalities created by the system persist.

For a full write up of the event and to hear what other panellists had to say, you can read the full event report here.