From birth to old age those at the bottom of the social scale have much poorer health and quality of life than those at the top. Gender, area of residence and ethnic origin also have a deep impact. When the Black Report first revealed these tragic inequalities and made urgent recommendations for change, the British Medical Journal, and many others, regarded it as the most important medical report since World War II. It's findings however, were dismissed by the incoming government, which tried unsuccessfully to bury it. Despite this it had, and continues to have, a profound influence on the medical and academic worlds. This book examines the inequalities that exist in the British Health system.