The challenge to provide a nation-wide integrated health service is central to UK government policy. The National Program for Information Technology was launched in 2002 to transform healthcare using information and communications technology. As the largest, non-military, non-scientific government funded IT program worldwide, it was planned over a decade with an estimated total cost expected to...

Since 1948 health care in the United Kingdom (UK) has been centrally funded through the National Health Service (NHS). The NHS provides both primary and specialist health care which is largely free at the point of delivery. Family practitioners are responsible for registered populations of patients and typically work in groups of 4-6 self-employed physicians. They hire nurses and a range of oth...

The challenge to provide a nation-wide healthcare service continues unabated in the 21st century as politicians and managers drive through policies to modernize the UK National Health Service (NHS). Established around 60 years ago to offer free healthcare at the point of delivery to all citizens, the NHS now accounts for the largest portion of public expenditure after social security, with tota...

BACKGROUND Concerns about over-diagnosis and inappropriate management of Lyme disease (LD) are well documented in North America and supported by clinical data. There are few parallel data on the situation in the UK. AIM To describe the patterns of referral, investigation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected LD referred to an infectious disease unit in Liverpool, UK. Previous ma...

BACKGROUND Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a relatively common and disabling condition. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a treatment option for paediatric CFS/ME because there is good evidence that it is effective. Despite this, most young people in the UK are unable to...

To cite: Lorenc A, Robinson N. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2015;41:8–12. BACKGROUND Patient and public engagement (PPE) consists of involving, consulting and listening to patients and the public, to make services responsive to patients’ needs and improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. PPE has a central role in the UK National Health Service (NHS), at every level, from planning to ...

P.R. Debruyne1, P. Johnson2, L. Pottel1, S. Daniels3, R. Greer4, E. Hodgkinson5, S. Kelly6, M. Lycke1, J. Samol7, J. Simpson8, D. Kimber9, E. Loucaides10, M. K. Parmar11, S. Harvey12 Campus Loofstraat Cancer Center, General Hospital Groeninge, Kortrijk, BELGIUM Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK Pharmacy Cancer Services, University Colle...

Christine Jones worked for over 30 years as a physiotherapist in the National Health Service (NHS). The research on which this article is based was undertaken while she was a student at the London School of Economics, preparing a dissertation for a Masters Degree in Demography. She has since obtained a PhD in History at the University of Essex and works as a research assistant in the UK Data Ar...