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.

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.

this commentary explores some of the issues raised by gilbert et al.short communication, morality and markets in the nhs. the increasing role of market mechanisms and the changing types of healthcare providers together with the use of choice and competition to drive improvements in quality in the national health service (nhs), all have important ethical implications. in order for the nhs to con...

Despite fiscal stress, public confidence in the National Health Service (NHS) remains strong; privatisation has not hollowed out the service. But if long term challenges are to be overcome, pragmatism not rhetoric should be the guide.

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...

the article by brenna and spandonaro on interregional mobility for acute hospital care in italy raises important issues concerning social and territorial equity in a healthcare system. based on regions and private providers’ strategic behavior, the hypothesis adopted to explain patient cross-border mobility (cbm), demonstrated by statistical analysis, may be further explored using qualitative m...

On January 1, 1947, it was just one hundred years since the first medical officer of health was appointed in Britain,Dr. Duncan of Liverpool. Much public health history has been made during these years and the century is punctuated with dates of special significance. None is likely to be of greater significance than that in which the National Health Service Bill became an Act of Parliament. Man...