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.

"Prose - fresh and sparkling. Argumentation - punchy. Altogether good for one's health." (Stephen Cropper, Professor of Management, formerly Director of Research Institute of Public Policy and formerly Head of School of Public Policy and Professional Practice, Keele University, UK) "This is recommended reading for anyone interested in the flow of UK and English health policy and seeking to understand the impact of reforms from a macro-political standpoint." (Professor Stephen Peckham, Director of the Health Policy Unit, University of Kent, UK)

About the Author
Calum Paton is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at Keele University, UK. His books include seminal analyses of the Thatcher and Blair reforms to the NHS. He is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Health Planning and Management. He was Chair of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust from 2000 to 2006, and has advised politicians in the UK, governments abroad and agencies such as WHO, World Bank, UNDP, and the EU.


Book Information
ISBN 9781137473424
Author Calum Paton
Format Hardback
Page Count 212
Imprint Palgrave Macmillan
Publisher Palgrave Macmillan