Focusing on the White Paper, Working for Patients (1989) and the NHS reforms, this work analyzes the politics and structure of the NHS and other systems, and theoretical alternatives and health economics. The book outlines the key features of the NHS and the primarily financial problems which created the political controversy in the 1980s. It then discusses the evolution of policy up to the present day and analyzes rival ideas as to how to run the NHS.
The Government's NHS reforms pave the way for more competition and a more locally managed health service. They also take place at a time when the NHS in England is faced with saving an estimated £15 to £20 billion by 2015. Achieving savings of this level will require a radical overhaul of how services are designed and delivered. Critical to this is creating the right incentives for the NHS to develop, in ways that promote creativity and innovation.
This book explains the politics of thirty years of ‘market reform’ in the English NHS, with the rest of the UK a counter-factual. Paton shows how each subsequent reform has been shaped by the confusion left by the previous reform. The long-term ideology has been anti-statist but policy-making at each stage of ‘reform’ has been driven by short-term politics. The outcome in England has been ever-increasing complexity in the NHS, with significantly increased management costs and no commensurate benefit.
Using a rich empirical resource base, this book takes a critical look at recent practices to see whether the new spatial planning is having the kinds of impacts its advocates would wish. Contributing to theoretical debates in planning, state restructuring and governance, it also outlines and critiques the contemporary practice of spatial planning.
This text provides a comprehensive account of the most salient political issues in world politics and explains their significance in a way that is accessible to students and non-specialists alike. The end of the Cold War led to a widespread feeling of relief and talk of a new world order. Optimism however was short-lived and a whole range of difficult new issues, including ethnic conflict, refugees, terrorism and world security, have come to the fore. A number of ethical and moral issues such as poverty, human rights and religion has moved up the agenda of world politics. A new set of problems--involving the environment, technology, and health care--has impacted on the policy systems of states and international organizations. The contributors to this collection provide a basis for understanding emerging issues on the global stage.
Further relates to white paper, 'Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS', Cm. 7881 (ISBN 9780101788120). An earlier report on this topic by the Committee published as HC 513-I, session 2010-11 (ISBN 9780215555960). Additional written evidence is contained in Vol. 2, available on the Committee's website at www.parliament.uk/healthcom
The book discusses the successes and failures of the mixed economy of health care in the inter-war period, including a consideration of the nature of public-private partnerships.