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Accountability in the UK Healthcare System: An Overview

Peckham, Stephen (2014) Accountability in the UK Healthcare System: An Overview. Healthcare Policy, (10(SP)). pp. 155-162. ISSN 1715-6572. (doi:10.12927/hcpol.2014.23914) (KAR id:42031)

Abstract

Recent changes in the English National Health Service (NHS) have introduced new complexities into the accountability arrangements for healthcare services. This commentary describes how the new organizational structures have challenged the traditional centralized accountability structures by creating a more dispersed system of governance for local healthcare commissioners. It sets the context of discussions about accountability in the UK NHS and then describes the key changes in England following the implementation of the NHS reforms in April 2013. The commentary concludes that while there is increased complexity of accountability within a more decentralized and fragmented healthcare system, the government's goal of achieving increased local autonomy and greater control by general practitioners (GPs) will probably not be realized. In particular, the system will continue to have strongly centralized aspects, with increased regulation and central political responsibility.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.12927/hcpol.2014.23914
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User: Stephen Peckham
Date Deposited: 30 Jul 2014 13:51 UTC
Last Modified: 29 Oct 2021 14:37 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/42031 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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