Image from Google Jackets

Democratic governance and health : hospitals, politics and health policy in New Zealand Miriam J. Laugesen & Robin Gauld.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: Dunedin, N.Z. : Otago University Press, 2012.Description: 214 p. ; 23 cmISBN:
  • 9781877578274 (pbk.) :
Other title:
  • Democratic governance & health [Cover title]
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 362.1068 LAU
Contents:
1 . Democratic governance and health: an introduction -- 2. Cross-national models of health system governance -- 3. The creation of universal health care 1925 to 1960 -- 4. Rational planning meets democratic forces -- 5. Inching towards marketisation, 1984 to 1990 -- 6. The end of elected boards -- 7. The rise and demise of the Health Funding Authority -- 8. The establishment and performance of District Health Boards -- 9. Conclusion: realism and representation.
Summary: "New Zealand is the only country in the world where elected health boards have long been a core feature of the health care system. These boards are conceptually important and aspirational for policy-makers and communities across the world grappling with issues of how to increase public participation in health care. The influence of the district health boards is vast. In 2011, they were responsible for much of the $12 billion in public expenditure directly funded by taxpayers via the Ministry of Health. They also made all major decisions as to how health services were configured in the areas they serve, including which services were to be funded, and for whom and where they should be located. This book traces the development of New Zealand's elected health boards, from the 1930s to the present District Health Board structure, analysing the history of democratic governance of health care, how boards have functioned, the politics surrounding their reform, and the idea of local democracy in health care decision-making. Based on extensive primary research, it assesses the capacity of elected boards to effectively govern the allocation of public expenditure on behalf of taxpayers and patients. Are there alternatives to the existing District Health Board model? How might the electoral model be improved upon? The concluding chapter provides some suggestions"--From Publisher.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Barcode
Book Book Vine library TRO 362.1068 LAU Available FV13070377

Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-202) and index.

1 . Democratic governance and health: an introduction -- 2. Cross-national models of health system governance -- 3. The creation of universal health care 1925 to 1960 -- 4. Rational planning meets democratic forces -- 5. Inching towards marketisation, 1984 to 1990 -- 6. The end of elected boards -- 7. The rise and demise of the Health Funding Authority -- 8. The establishment and performance of District Health Boards -- 9. Conclusion: realism and representation.

"New Zealand is the only country in the world where elected health boards have long been a core feature of the health care system. These boards are conceptually important and aspirational for policy-makers and communities across the world grappling with issues of how to increase public participation in health care. The influence of the district health boards is vast. In 2011, they were responsible for much of the $12 billion in public expenditure directly funded by taxpayers via the Ministry of Health. They also made all major decisions as to how health services were configured in the areas they serve, including which services were to be funded, and for whom and where they should be located. This book traces the development of New Zealand's elected health boards, from the 1930s to the present District Health Board structure, analysing the history of democratic governance of health care, how boards have functioned, the politics surrounding their reform, and the idea of local democracy in health care decision-making. Based on extensive primary research, it assesses the capacity of elected boards to effectively govern the allocation of public expenditure on behalf of taxpayers and patients. Are there alternatives to the existing District Health Board model? How might the electoral model be improved upon? The concluding chapter provides some suggestions"--From Publisher.