This Revision Bite explains how to approach the second part of the DME exam, where you are required to write a report. It's important to remember that the report should be based on both the information in the sources provided and on your background knowledge of the subject.
Here the task is to imagine that you are a health policy expert and that you have to decide on one of the following points of view:
The recent increase in National Insurance contributions is sufficient to deal with inequalities in health.
or
An increase in taxation is still necessary to deal with inequalities in health.
Your DME report should:
Recommend whether or not an increase in tax is still needed to deal with inequalities in health.
Provide arguments to support your recommendation.
Identify and comment on any arguments which may be presented by those who oppose your recommendation.
Summarise your main points
When writing the DME report, you will also find it useful to place letters in the margin of your answer book, indicating the source to which you are referring. Here we put them in brackets after the quotation.
In the Test Bites you can have the opportunity to test yourself on both points of view. The first presents you with a version of one DME report written from the point of view of the Labour Party Spokesman. Here you are asked to identify which of the sources we have used.
In the second Test Bite, you should begin to write the sections of your own DME report. You will then be able to check what you have written against the feedback where we have suggested possible answers.
You will be able to see the sources when you start working on the Test Bite. But you might find it easier to print them off while you are working on your report.