TY - JOUR T1 - The inverse power law JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 455 LP - 455 DO - 10.3399/bjgp21X717197 VL - 71 IS - 711 AU - David Misselbrook Y1 - 2021/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/71/711/455.abstract N2 - October’s BJGP theme is the young and the old. Much like general practice itself then. Three of Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man1 make up the bulk of medical practice. For inpatient costs the figures for older care are even more marked — while the annual mean secondary care spend for a 50 year old is just over £300, this rises to £2000 by the age of 90.2 And we are well aware of the social determinants of health, influencing which of these young and old will need most care.3So given that we all sign up to motherhood, apple pie, and patient-centred medicine, presumably parents, older children, and older people themselves have the greatest input into NHS health policy? Especially those on low incomes? But no, most … ER -