Need and provision of health visiting in the London district health authorities.
This paper considers the degree of equity associated with the delivery of health visiting in London, England. As is common in the National Health Service, it is argued that an area with a greater need for a service should get greater provision of that service. Different indices for measuring needs and resources are discussed. In particular, the vital distinction between measures of resource input and output is examined. The relationships between provision indices are discussed and then the associations between need and provision are examined. It is concluded that the implications for equity are unclear, as the magnitude of the correlations change depending on the choice of indices.
Powell
M
M
School of Health and Human Sciences, Hatfield Polytechnic, Hertfordshire, England.
D003152:Community Health Nursing; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009739:Nursing Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*