The Nation's HealthHugh Bayley (a former health economist at York University and, since 1992, Labour MP for York) writes that Labour should formally embrace three governing principles for the NHS: Equity: resources should be allocated on the basis of people's ability to benefit from treatment. Efficiency: resources should be spent on effective treatments which maximise the collective health benefit. Accountability: patients should be free to choose what treatment they have and who provides it. Using new information obtained through Parliamentary Questions, he argues that the NHS internal market has been a "costly flop" and should be abolished. But where the reoganisation has been consistend with his three principles, such as the shift in the balance of power from hospitals to primary care, Labour should be ready to take advantage of these developments in its new strategy. -- Page 4 of cover. |
Common terms and phrases
11 Dartmouth Anglia & Oxford areas bed closures British Medical Journal choose what treatment Classical economic clinical audit clinical outcomes clinical practice guidelines clinical practice plan Common Data Set community health service contracts costly flop Department of Health doctors efficiency and accountability elderly equity and efficiency evidence-based medicine Fabian Society figures fundholding GPs funding government's GP fundholders GP practices health interventions health needs health spending hospital and community Hugh Bayley ineffective treatment inequalities in health Labour government Labour Party league tables lowest death rates managers ment million Nation strategy Nation targets National Children's Bureau NHS budget NHS Executive NHS internal market NHS resources Northern N Western Pamphlet population primary principles of equity professionals prostatectomies purchase real terms reducing health inequalities region secondary care shire counties Skilled Non-manual social class South West Surrey surgery Thames E Anglia three fundamental principles treat Trust undermined Wessex Western SW Thames