Since the Labour government came to power in 1997, waiting lists have attracted unprecedented attention. For a time, the number of patients recorded as waiting for hospital treatment fell, but at the same time, numbers waiting more than 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment rose. This outcome had been anticipated ...
Because the NHS was founded to provide equal access to all on the basis of need rather than the ability to pay, price was eliminated as a method of bringing demand for services into line with supply. This means that the Government has to make decisions about the amount of ...