Publisher's Synopsis
The author's primary purpose is to analyse the forces that have shaped British health policy over the last two decades, but they have also provided up-to-date factual information. Areas covered include the funding of the service, resource allocation, health care priorities, organization and management, industrial relations, medical careers, and the evaluation of the NHS's performance. The government white paper "Working for Patients" and its possible impact are thoroughly integrated into the text, and a second novel feature is the careful use of political theory to produce an integrated explanation for the policy trends observed. The authors are all leading specialists in the fields of health policy and management.