New research shows the idea of the "postcode lottery" was first used in 1997 to express concern about how access to National Health Service (NHS) drugs and treatment varied from place to place. But its meaning has since broadened to include regional inequalities in state services generally, and even in poverty and life expectancy. When austerity policies were introduced in 2010, "postcode lottery" stories declined as news stories focused more on reducing the public financial deficit than on inequalities.
But as the impact of austerity policies mounted, the phrase was increasingly applied to struggling public services beyond health care . Instead of stories focusing on individuals and their access to specific treatments, the media paid more attention to regional "postcode lotteries," comparing the quality of health services more generally. The study was carried out by Grace Redhead and Rebecca Lynch from the University of Exeter.
The paper is published in the journal Health & Place . Dr. Redhead said, "It might feel to us as if the phrase has always been around, but that's not the case.
We have shown how it goes in and out of fashion and how its usage has changed a lot over time. "The 'postcode lottery' means different things to different people. Some groups have talked about the risk of a 'postcode lottery' to try and protect the NHS and the idea of universal public services.
But other people have pointed to the 'postcode lottery' as proof that universalism is impossible, and.
