Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an introduction to health policy for students of health services in the United Kingdom. It examines the impact of health services, and considers which groups have power over policy-making. The book utilizes concepts and theories from a range of disciplines in analysing health policy. Since the main focus is the politics of health care, political science and policy analysis have furnished a number of concepts which have proved valuable in examining decision-making, power and control. The book considers the meaning of policy and the nature of the policy process. It looks at the implementation of health policy, and the local influences on policy-making. The book focuses on the impact of health services. Three aspects of inequality in health and the use of health services are examined: geographical, social class and client group.