ABSTRACT
Until very recently marketing was an alien concept in the NHS. The emphasis was on curtailing costs by constraining demand; rationing by queues and waiting lists. The analogies with old-style Soviet bloc economic practices are obvious. In theory, at least, we had a standard product and a uniform service, and if quality sometimes left a lot to be desired, we were expected to be grateful that we were getting it cheaply! Such systems are set up for the benefit of staff rather than customers. Marketing has little to offer in these circumstances.
