NHS and the Health and Social Care Bill: end of Bevan's vision?

Morality and Values in Support of Universal Healthcare Must be Enshrined in Law; Comment on “Morality and Markets in the NHS”

This is a commentary on Gilbert and colleagues’ (1) paper on morality and markets in the National Health Service (NHS). Morality and values are not ephemeral qualities and universal healthcare is not simply an aspiration; it has to be enshrined in law. The creation of the UK NHS in 1948 was underpinned by core legal duties which required a system of public funding and delivery to follow. The mo...

Let’s Raise a Half-Full Glass to the Zombie NHS: A Response to Recent Commentaries

MPs table bill to restrict role of commercial companies in NHS.

The NHS Bill 2015, which proposes abolishing competition and restricting the role of commercial companies in the NHS in England, is to be retabled before parliament on Wednesday 1 July. It will be tabled as a private member’s bill by the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and is expected to have cross party support from around a dozen sponsors in total. The bill is based on the NHS Reinstatement Bil...

Morality and Markets in the NHS

Since its establishment in 1948, the history of the National Health Service (NHS) has been characterized by organisational turbulence and system reform. At the same time, progress in science, medicine and technology throughout the western world have revolutionized the delivery of healthcare. The NHS has become a much loved, if much critiqued, national treasure. It is against this backdrop that ...

Who Killed the English National Health Service?

The death of the English National Health Service (NHS) has been pronounced many times over the years, but the time and cause of death and the murder weapon remains to be fully established. This article reviews some of these claims, and asks for clearer criteria and evidence to be presented.