Everyone has the right to the best possible health
Health is a universal human right. By protecting it, we can build fairer systems, reduce inequalities, and ensure everyone has what they need to thrive.
What is the right to health?
Our health shouldn’t depend on where we live, how much we earn, or the job we do. But right now, it often does. This isn’t inevitable. It’s the result of choices about how our laws and systems are designed and put into practice.
Everyone has the right to the best possible health – and the support to achieve it .
In practice, the right to health means:
- Everyone is entitled to the healthcare services they need
- Health services are available, accessible, acceptable and of the highest possible quality – for everyone, no matter who they are or where they live
- Governments shape the conditions for the best possible health – including adequate housing, affordable and nutritious food and fair working conditions
When these foundations are strong, people can thrive. When they are not, people’s health and quality of life is harmed – and this harm is avoidable.
How is the right to health protected in law?
The UK has committed to protecting the right to health through international law. But it is not yet fully protected in UK law – which means people cannot always rely on it in practice.
At a glance:
- The right to health is recognised in international law
- It is not fully enforceable in UK courts
- Some protections exist through other laws, like the Human Rights Act and Equality Act
Internationally, your right to health is well protected in law
The right to health is well protected in a number of international legal treaties, most prominently through the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Article 12. The UK signed this treaty in 1976. This means the UK has committed to protecting this right.
In the UK, it is not
The UK Government has not made the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) part of UK law. This means the right to health is not fully protected in UK law, and people cannot usually take a case to court based on it alone.
Some protections linked to health do exist in UK law:
The Human Rights Act 1998 provides some protection
The Human Rights Act, is part of UK law, meaning people can take legal action if the rights it includes are not being protected. This law does not include the right to health directly, but protects related rights such as:
- The right to make decisions about our lives (Article 8)
- The right to be free from serious harm (Article 3).
The Equality Act (2010) also provides some protection
This law says that all people should be treated fairly. It includes a rule that public bodies must think about how their decisions could affect people with less money than others. This is called the socio-economic duty.
The socio-economic duty has a role to play
At the moment, this rule only applies in Scotland and Wales and we are campaigning to have the duty switched on (commenced) in England as well. Northern Ireland has different equality laws.
Some public bodies in England are already choosing to follow the socio-economic duty anyway (you can find a link to examples of below).
Join the right to health campaign
Change happens when people come together.
We’re working with others to change the systems that shape health – and to make sure the right to health is protected in law and in practice.
Why stronger protections are needed now
Across the UK, many people are experiencing the health consequences of policy choices every day.
- Parents are skipping meals so their children can eat.
- Families are trapped in damp homes that worsen asthma.
- Workers are being pushed into ill health by insecure jobs.
- Communities are breathing polluted air.
- Patients are waiting months – sometimes years – for basic care.
- Everyone’s life expectancy is falling.
These aren’t isolated stories. They reflect deeper inequalities built into how decisions are made. They’re the result of policies that aren’t working, and a failure to protect the right to health.
And the harm falls hardest on people already facing disadvantage, including disabled people, minoritised communities, older people and those on low incomes.
right to health Resources
Download the right to health report, plain english summary and toolkit for civil society organisations.
Read and share our key messages.
Download the AAAQ framework & PANEL framework.
Read our recent blogs on the right to health here.