OHE Publications

It has generally been the policy of OHE, in this series of occasional papers, to avoid controversial topics directly involving the pharmaceutical manufacturers, who still provide much of the finance for our Office. We are departing from the tradition on this occasion partly by accident and partly by intent.

At the last census in 1966 there were nearly 12 million people aged between 45 and 64 in England and Wales. This age group, which for convenience will be termed 'middle age' throughout this paper, covers the second part of economically active life. It is a time during which, while many careers are still reaching a peak, a decline in physical and mental powers has already begun to set in. As middle age is entered, a new phase of life begins. Patterns of morbidity and mortality rapidly alter as degenerative diseases become increasingly more significant.

By 1990, the total cost of the National Health Service will probably have reached about £10,000 million of which about £1,300 million will be for medicines prescribed by general practitioners and hospital doctors. At 1968 prices the corresponding figures would be about £4,500 million and £600 million.

This book contains the third series of Winter Lectures organised by the Office of Health Economics, and the first to be given after the publication of the 'Sainsbury Report'. Mr Freeman in his foreword to the volume containing the second series wrote: 'Not unnaturally some of the papers are concerned to justify the policies and practices of the principal firms in the industry.'