″Adding Life to Years″: Problems in Planning for Health Gain

Health planners in Wales are developing the notion of “health gain” as the key to shaping health care provision in Wales over the coming decade. One of the twin components of “health gain”, the idea of “adding life to years”, is both crucial and controversial. The assumptions behind, and the planning implications arising from, the notion of “adding life to years” are examined and it is argued that health gain is essentially plural, diverse and contested. It is concluded that planning for health gain offers both moral dangers and moral gains.