What is it about?
A number of studies have shown an apparent correlation between government austerity and increased deaths in England. However, correlation is not causation. There are a number of important anomalies which contradict the austerity theory and these are explored in this article. A more detailed study is being published in the 2019 November issue of British Journal of Healthcare Management in which it is demonstrated that there is no correlation whatsoever between austerity for individual local governments and the change in deaths. The seeming correlation for the whole of England is merely an artefact.
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Why is it important?
Government policy relies on correct attribution of cause and effect. If austerity is not causing increased deaths then increasing spending will not reverse the increase. It is unfortunate that the press has sensationalized the studies supporting austerity and deaths to such an extent that this has become an urban myth.
Perspectives
I have published a number of studies refuting the austerity theory. Unfortunately the studies so far published make no reference to this conflicting research and therefore inadvertently give undue credence to this theory. These wider studies can be accessed at http://www.hcaf.biz/2010/Publications_Full.pdf
Dr Rodney P Jones
Healthcare Analysis & Forecasting
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Unanswered Questions for the Austerity Theory, SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2019, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3319211.
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