What impact can social work make on inequalities in health? Social Work, Health and Equality opens up a new direction in the practice and theory of social work. Focussing on the profound human suffering which arises from social inequalities in health, it: * shows how social work can make a significant contribution to creating more equal experiences of health and illness * describes the major shifts in conceptualisation, practice and organisation necessary to bring about change. The authors explore these questions in relation to four key aspects of health; health maintenance, illness at home, hospitalisation, and facing death. Grounding the text in everyday lived experience, they show how social work must change its discourse and its practice if it is to respond effectively to the challenges of its new role in tackling health issues.