This paper is a review of the economics of prenatal screening as seen from a medical point of view. The difficulties and controversies over the economic analysis are examined with specific reference to screening for Down syndrome. The aims and principles of prenatal screening are set out and...

This report describes the construction of a database of examples of consumer involvement in research. It summarises the material on the accompanying database and discusses some of the problems of finding and classifying suitable examples. The database was commissioned to: map the field of...

Since 2003, 25% of UK general practitioners’ income has been determined by the quality of their care. The 65 clinical quality indicators in this scheme (the Quality and Outcomes Framework) are in the form of ratios, with financial reward increasing linearly with the ratio between a lower and...

The length of waiting lists for treatment in the British National Health Service is an issue of current political and economic concern. This paper presents estimates of the costs to consumers of waiting lists for non-urgent medical care. The estimates are derived from data collected using...

We explore in this research paper the concept of avoidable mortality and how the way it is measured has evolved over time. Starting from an earlier review by Nolte and McKee (2004), we review the empirical studies which have been produced since then. Finally we appraise the empirical...

Despite the inclusion of equity ideals in the design of many health care systems, pragmatic tools for integrating them into the efficiency categories of cost-effectiveness in HTA remain under-developed. This paper reviews approaches used to incorporate equity in HTA methods and develops a...

Foundation Trusts (FTs) were introduced in the English NHS in 2004/5 and gave NHS Trusts the opportunity to become independent not-for-profit public benefit corporations. Whilst remaining in the public sector, FTs were granted greater autonomy than non-FTs. The reform was intended to create...

At a time when there are severe pressures on reducing public spending there is increasing emphasis on determining which parts of the country secure best value for money in the NHS. By linking together large scale and routinely collected datasets we produce and compare productivity estimates...

In December 2010, the Government launched its consultation on its plans to change the way medicines are priced in the UK. By 2014, a system of ‘value-based pricing’ (VBP) will replace the current Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS), which is a voluntary agreement between the...

In most sectors of the economy, specialisation is associated with lower costs. Yet some specialised hospitals claim to require more generous funding than general hospitals. This claim is based on the assertion that their patients are different, and that these differences outweigh the cost...