The National Health Service remains the sacred cow of British politics - any criticism is considered beyond the pale, guaranteed to trigger angry responses and accusations of bad faith. This book argues that the NHS should not be insulated from reasoned debate. In terms of health outcomes, it is one of the worst systems in the developed world, well behind those of other high-income countries. The NHS does achieve universal access to healthcare, but so do the health systems in every other developed country (with the exception of the US). Britain is far from being the only country where access to healthcare does not depend on an individual's ability to pay. Author Kristian Niemietz draws on a wealth of international evidence to develop a vision for a universal healthcare system based on consumer sovereignty, freedom of choice, competition and pluralism. His roadmap for reform charts a path from the status quo to a more desirable and effective alternative.

Auteur

Dr Kristian Niemietz is the Head of Health and Welfare at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and a Research Fellow at the Age Endeavour Fellowship (AEF). Kristian studied economics at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Universidad de Sala-manca, and political economy at King's College London, where he obtained his doctorate. He is the author of the IEA monographs Redefining the Poverty Debate and A New Understanding of Poverty, the latter winning the 2011 Templeton Freedom Award in the category 'Free Enter-prise Solutions to Poverty'.