Fionnáin quoted Development as freedom by Amartya Kumar Sen
Development as Freedom is a 1999 book about international development by Indian economist and philosopher …
A much more plausible explanation of the rapid increase in British life expectancy is provided by the changes in the extent of social sharing during the war decades, and the sharp increases in public support for social services (including nutritional support and health care) that went with this.
— Development as freedom by Amartya Kumar Sen (Page 51)
Sen is finishing a section here arguing that improved social services as a social good are potentially better for a country's life expectancy than an increase in GDP. They began this chapter with a look at different countries and how some have high life expectancy despite a low average income, and end here with a historical look at how the war years led Britain to introduce social policies that also improved loving conditions dramatically.