Transplanting organs from one human to another is increasingly constrained by a shortage of donors. This report describes the wide variations between the number of kidney and heart transplantations and those waiting for these operations both in the United Kingdom and internationally; and how the UK could improve its performance. ...
The author considers discharge policy and practice in the UK which is aiming for a goal of seamless care. Chapter 2 summarises three areas of discharge related research: the experiences of elderly people and their carers; difficulties for those whose task is to manage acute beds; and communication between hospital ...
This Review is based on the financial year 1993 to 1994. The first part describes developments in each of the main policy areas of `The health of the nation', the Patient's Charter and community care implementation. For the first time results of the systematic research into the effects of the ...
This Review is based on the financial rather than the calendar year, and once again attempts to describe and assess the main developments in health policy. The calendar of events aims to describe what has actually happened and also to reflect on some of the wider issues that events within ...
This report examines the work of research ethics committees (RECs) in the United Kingdom. RECs examine proposals for research on human subjects largely within the NHS which throws up a variety of ethical problems. The role of RECs is essentially that of a public watchdog: to try to protect subjects ...
This report presents an appreciation of the significance of Primary Care Development Fund supported schemes for the future of UK primary care generally, and offers a point of common entry into a vital area of national health debate to a range of audiences amongst NHS service providers, users and purchaser ...
This report is an in-depth, comparative study of the UK plans and US experience of competition in the supply of hospital services. It shows how both competition and regulation policies have been used to contain escalating costs in the US. American experience raises concerns about the impact of competition on ...
The paper summarises recent literature giving an economic perspective on acute hospitals. The issues discussed include: the optimal size of a hospital; the role of the hospital in relation to other suppliers; cost containment and productivity; and the scope for cost reduction.
This report reviews the performance of health services in Sweden, Holland, West Germany, Canada and USA. The main aim has been to identify the countries' studies, to draw parallels with the UK, and to establish the lessons, if any, from abroad. Chapter one traces the origins of the Prime Minister's ...
The briefing paper provides a constructive analysis of the White Paper (Working for Patients). It argues that the White Paper outlines an ambitious and high risk strategy. The paper identifies main themes underlying the White Paper proposals: new institutional arrangements for the health services; the management of clinical activity; responsiveness ...