Provides up-to-date coverage of current thinking on rationing. The first part of the book consists of a series of debates on controversial issues in healthcare, such as rationing by age. The second part makes suggestions for action, drawing comparisons with health care systems overseas.

Introduction and context: introduction, Bill New; The rationing agenda in the NHS, Bill New; Responses to the rationing agenda, Jo Lenaghan. Section 1 Talk: The inevitability of rationing in the NHS, Chris Heginbotham; Public opinion and rationing - a review of the evidence, Jack Kneeshaw. The rationing debate: Devising a package of health care services the NHS is responsible for - for, Bill New; against, Rudolph Kelin; Maximising the health of the whole community - for, A.J. Culyer; against, John Harris; Rationing health care by age - for, Alan Williams; against, J. Grimley Evans; Central government should have a greater role in rationing decisions - for, Jo Lenaghan; against, Stephen Harrison; Rationing within the NHS should be explicit - for, Len Doyal; against, Jo Coast; Direct public and patient involvement in rationing - the possibilities for direct public involvement, Anna Coote; - the possibilities for direct patient involvement, Heather Goodare; The moral limits to public and patient involvement, Len Doyal. Section 2 Action: New Zealand priority criteria project, Hadorn, Holmes; Setting priorities - can Britain learn from Sweden? McKee, Figueras; Setting priorities - is there a role for citizen's juries? Lenaghan et al; The Asbury draft policy on ethical use of resources, Crisp et al; Responses to Asbury proposal, Thomasma et al; A purchaser experience of managing new, expensive drugs - interferon beta, Rous et al; How can hospitals ration drugs? Bochner et al; responses to Boshner et al.

Provides up-to-date coverage of current thinking on rationing. The first part of the book consists of a series of debates between leading authorities putting forward their views for and against some of the most controversial issues in healthcare, such as rationing by age, and the role of central government. The second part makes suggestions for action, drawing comparisons with health care systems overseas, on the ethical uses of resources, the rationing of drugs by hospitals, and the role of citizens' juries. The book should be of interest to healthcare workers, managers, public health physicians and health economists.