title: Devolution and health in the UK: policy and its lessons since 1998.
abstract: Since devolution in 1998, the UK has had four increasingly distinct health systems, in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
  
  
  
  Secondary literature and authors' own research since 1998.
  
  
  
  From a similar starting point, there has been a considerable distancing of the four health systems from each other in policies, priorities and organization.
  
  
  
  The comparative efficiency and quality of the different systems as well as the wisdom of their greater or lesser reliance on integration and competition.
  
  
  
  Better and more comparable public data would be useful, as would consideration of potential devolved lessons for UK policy.
  
  
  
  Comparisons of organization and performance at levels more detailed than whole systems; analysis of the resilience and management of different systems in a context of budgetary austerity; analysis of the politics behind policy decisions.
authors.affiliation: Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights,  Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA slgreer@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011050:Policy Making; D011057:Politics; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: England; NHS; Northern Ireland; Scotland; Wales; policy