Understanding Health Policy

In recent years the pace of reform in health policy and the NHS has been relentless. But how are policies formed and implemented? This exciting new book takes a fresh look at the processes and institutions that make health policy, examining such questions as what constitutes health policy, where power lies, and what changes could be made to improve the quality of health policy making? Based on original research, including a series of in-depth interviews with health policy actors, the book examines the role of various institutions in the formation and implementation of health policy. It considers the impact of devolution on health policy and the role of European and international organisations and features case studies to illustrate how policy has evolved and developed in recent years. Written particularly with the needs of students and tutors in mind, this textbook will also be invaluable to policy makers and practitioners in the health policy field.