The New Health Policy (State of Health Series)

WINNER of the Health and Social Care category at the BMA Medical Book Awards 2010!

"This is a clear, readable, well-structured overview of recent health policy developments which succeeds in covering a lot of ground clearly and concisely although focused on the UK, NZ and USA. It would have benefitted from some examples of health policy in action, perhaps in the areas without a chapter, eg primary care, or health care rationing. It is recommended for the intended audience of students of health policy."
BMA Medical Books Awards Judging Panel

"This is an excellent and accessible introduction to key current debates in health policy. It is enriched by deft comparative analysis and by the way Dr Gauld locates the study in the context of current ideological debates. Students will learn a lot from wrestling with the questions posed at the end of each chapter – and so will their teachers!"
Paul Wilding, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Manchester, UK

This book analyzes the issues that form the nucleus of the emerging 'new health policy' agenda. Robin Gauld brings together in one volume a comprehensive picture of the health policy challenges facing contemporary developed world health systems, as well as the strategies for tackling these.

Individual chapters, respectively, analyze:

• Challenges in health care funding and organization
• Quality and patient safety
• The application of information technology
• Clinical governance
• The changing nature of professionalism and public involvement in health care planning
• Public health
• The role of the private sector

The book highlights the importance to policy makers of each subject, overviews research into it, and discusses policy responses in Britain, New Zealand and the United States.

The New Health Policy is essential reading for all students of health policy and health care, along with policy makers and health care professionals.

Robin Gauld is Associate Professor of Health Policy at the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin, New Zealand. Author or editor of eight books, and many chapters and journal articles, his research interests are in health systems, primary care, health information technology and health care quality.