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What future for ethical medical practice in the new National Health Service?

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  • 1. Bethlem Royal Hospital, London.
      Authors
    • Persaud RD 1
    (1 author)

Journal of Medical Ethics, 01 Mar 1991, 17(1):10-18
https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.17.1.10 PMID: 2033624 PMCID: PMC1375965

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A comment on this article appears in "Ethical medical practice and the NHS." J Med Ethics. 1991 Sep;17(3):162.

Abstract 

The British Government is implementing some major alterations to the way health services in Great Britain are organised. As well as the introduction of competition between health care providers, their financial interests are to be linked to their output, in efforts to use market forces to increase efficiency and cut costs. This paper looks at the possible impact of these changes of health care organisation on ethical medical practice. This is investigated with particular reference to the country whose health service has embraced most closely these elements of the market--the United States of America. The question to be answered is whether high standards of ethical care are ensured by factors somehow intrinsic to the medical profession, and are therefore immune to changes in the economics of health care. This assumption is shown to be questionable in light of what is known about the determinants of ethical medical practice.

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Logo of jmedethLink to Publisher's site
J Med Ethics. 1991 Mar; 17(1): 10–18.
PMCID: PMC1375965
PMID: 2033624

What future for ethical medical practice in the new National Health Service?

R D Persaud
Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer

Abstract

The British Government is implementing some major alterations to the way health services in Great Britain are organised. As well as the introduction of competition between health care providers, their financial interests are to be linked to their output, in efforts to use market forces to increase efficiency and cut costs. This paper looks at the possible impact of these changes of health care organisation on ethical medical practice. This is investigated with particular reference to the country whose health service has embraced most closely these elements of the market--the United States of America. The question to be answered is whether high standards of ethical care are ensured by factors somehow intrinsic to the medical profession, and are therefore immune to changes in the economics of health care. This assumption is shown to be questionable in light of what is known about the determinants of ethical medical practice.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
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