BMJ  2007;334:69-70 (13 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39080.574699.47

Feature

Putting the public at the heart of the NHS

With the public's demand for improved service provision and accountability of service providers, Will Hutton explains why the NHS needs to embrace deliberative democracy better to respond to public expectations

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Herceptin, despite its expense and modest usefulness, has become universally available, courtesy of a successful media campaign—regardless, given budget constraints, of the adverse consequences to patients with more serious conditions competing for the same scare pounds.¹ The average inoculation rates using MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine are 81% in England,² after the media interest in Dr Andrew Wakefield's now disproved claims of a link with autism; the optimal rate is 95%.³ And Dr Richard Taylor, the independent MP for Kidderminster, was re-elected solely on his opposition to the private finance initiative and the scaling back of the local hospital⁴—notwithstanding the wider tangible improvements to health delivery that the reorganisation might bring.

Some readers will agree with the campaigners on some of these issues—I had and have considerable reservations about the private finance initiative—but I doubt that there is anybody who will agree that the campaigners are right on . . . [Full text of this article]

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How much will Herceptin really cost?

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Rapid Responses:

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Ideas for NHS democracy.

Michelle E Tempest
bmj.com, 14 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Patients are not the public

Peter G Davies
bmj.com, 16 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Does the NHS really need people power?

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Sherlock Holmes

Robert J Reynolds
bmj.com, 17 Jan 2007 [Full text]

democracy and choice

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Re: democracy and choice

Robert J Reynolds
bmj.com, 24 Jan 2007 [Full text]

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