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Table 2 Additional verbatim following the structure of the results section

From: Perceptions and beliefs of public policymakers in a Southern European city

HEALTH INEQUALITIES

Informant

Awareness and beliefs on health inequalities

 

“Therefore I think that Barcelona is articulated by old inequalities which have not been resolved and emerging realities which entail new related risks and social exclusion, which affect health.”

Welfare politician

“I think that the quality of life of people with higher purchasing capacities is different. I think that in life people accumulate factors which make their health more precarious.”

Employment officer

Causes of health inequalities

 

“Gender inequalities, for example, have a very important impact on health inequalities…and here I’m referring to education inequalities, health inequalities and income inequalities along with material possessions and environmental matters.

Welfare politician

“The lack of information, the lack of access to basic cultural knowledge… it causes people to be outside the inclusion mechanisms and it affects health.”

Environmental politician

POLICIES TO REDUCE HEALTH INEQUALITIES

 

“I consider that the educational system palliates health inequalities because we have a whole offer of education and that is one of strong policies of the consortium; we create a protective surrounding for the student.”

Education, officer

“A lot has to do with city health care services to be accessible and wide spread and to correct inequalities.”

Public health officer

THE ROLE OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT IN REDUCING HEALTH INEQUALITIES

 

Priorities of the city government

 

“What a public administration aims for is to build a more just, equal, egalitarian and supportive city and, regarding health, it sets out to improve its citizen’s health.”

Public health politician

“Reducing health inequalities clearly isn’t a priority of the city government.”

Public health opposition party

Competences of the city government

 

“There are many aspects that we do not deal with directly, for example the Neighbourhood Law. We manage them in collaboration with the district councils to improve housing and other structural elements.”

Urban planning officers

“The sewer system and subterranean lakes to prevent flooding: the city council has policies in place for these. They are partly finances by the cohesion funds.”

Structural funds officer

Information on health inequalities

 

"I am not entirely sure of the causes but if you didn’t have information regarding what might be bad for your health…then you don’t know where to find it or that it is important to find it."

Employment officer

"Yes, we receive information from the Barcelona Public Health Agency. Within the area coordination systems, the Public Health Agency explains the principal health indicators to us every year."

Social services officer

Intersectoral work

 

“Collaboration across sectors is clear to people who work in health, but it’s less clears to those working in other places.”

Public health officer

Collaboration with social actors

 

“Associations also participate with us. At the beginning of its mandate the Council drafts the Strategic Action Plan and there is participation in the participatory councils. Here, in the Social Welfare municipal council, there are groups on children, poverty and elderly people’s health and they are periodically involved.”

Social services officer

"There are territories in which neighbours and other associations are very involved and sometimes you may come across people who are willing to collaborate."

Employment officer

BARRIERS TO POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

 

“There are “sensitive” services which people consider need to be delivered by the council but no one wants them in their neighbourhood.”

Employment officer

“We come across some bureaucratic barriers. When you try and carry out a decentralised policy, then you come across opposition from the central government. When you want to implement a very innovative policy, then you have to break the inertia from the past…etc.…”

Public health politician

OPPORTUNITIES TO POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

 

“When you have a law backing you up, you can defend that you have to offer services due to the law and that you do not have enough money. It is an opportunity because this makes social services universal and because it places social services in the sphere of human rights as one of the pillars of the welfare state.”

Social services officer

“When there is a call we submit an application but these are projects which are within the city government’s agenda. These are opportunities to accelerate what the city government already wants to implement.”

Structural funds officer