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NHS AS STATE FAILURE: LESSONS FROM THE REALITY OF NATIONALISED HEALTHCARE
Author(s) -
Evans Helen
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
economic affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1468-0270
pISSN - 0265-0665
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0270.2008.00870.x
Subject(s) - rationing , inefficiency , health care , government (linguistics) , monopoly , state (computer science) , egalitarianism , politics , investment (military) , public administration , political economy , political science , economics , business , economic growth , market economy , law , linguistics , philosophy , algorithm , computer science
The British National Health Service is often held up as a beacon of egalitarian healthcare, funded through general taxation and free at the point of use. Instituted by arguably the most socialist government in British history after World War II, it has manifested all the flaws that might be expected from a state monopoly: waste, inefficiency, under‐investment, rationing and constant political interference. The result has been poor health outcomes for British citizens compared with other wealthy countries, and a failure by the NHS to live up to its founding principles of comprehensive, unlimited healthcare and egalitarianism.