The claim for patient choice and equity.
Recently, commentators close to and within the UK government have claimed that patient choice can increase equity in the context of the National Health Service. This article critically examines the basis for this claim through analysis of recent speeches and publications authored by secretaries of state for health and their policy advisers. It is concluded that this claim has not developed prospectively from an analysis of the causes of healthcare inequity, or even with a consistent normative definition of equity. The limited justification that is "framed in causal explanations" of inequity has suffered from an apparent disregard of the available evidence.
Barr
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Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 84 Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK. davidadambarr@hotmail.com
Fenton
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Blane
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D002755:Choice Behavior; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000941:ethics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom