Unit information: Health Care Policies in 2011/12

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Unit name Health Care Policies
Unit code SPOL31018
Credit points 20
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Dr. Lart
Open unit status Open
Pre-requisites

None
Co-requisites

None
School/department School for Policy Studies
Faculty Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit explores two, inter-linked aspects of health: firstly, the distribution of health amongst the population, and secondly the relationship between health and health care provision. The focus is largely on Britain and the unit explores differences in health and the experience of health care in terms of diversity within the British population. In addition, the unit draws on the insights offered through cross-national comparisons. The first part of the unit focuses on ideas about health: what health is, how it can be measured, and how health is distributed amongst different populations. The second part explores health services and health policy in the UK looking at the development of health policy, the delivery of health care, services for different users, and critical analysis of policy in this area.

Aims:

This course aims to develop an understanding of the development of health policy, the role of health policy in the welfare system and how health policy integrates with wider social policy issues, and in particular an understanding of the relationship between health inequalities and the delivery of health care in Britain .

Intended Learning Outcomes

The key learning outcomes are follows. Students are expected:

  • To be able to discuss different meanings of ‘health’ , different measurements of health status and identify implications for health policy
  • To identify and discuss key differences in health experience relating to deprivation and social class, sex/gender, disability and ethnicity
  • To have a basic understanding of health policy in Britain – the key services, the organisational structure, funding mechanisms – and how these have developed over time
  • To be able to draw on different theoretical perspectives in discussion and critique of both health difference and policy

Teaching Information

Lectures and seminars.

Assessment Information

Assessment will be against the programme criteria defined for the appropriate level.

Formative assessment: One 2000- 2500 word essay

Summative assessment : Level H - 3 hour unseen exam

Reading and References

  • Ham, Christopher.:Health policy in Britain :the politics and organisation of the National Health Service Basingstoke :Palgrave Macmillan,2004
  • Malin, Nigel.:Key concepts and debates in health and social policy /Nigel Malin, Stephen Wilmot, Jill Manthorpe.Philadelphia, PA :Open University Press,2002
  • Nazroo, James Y.: Ethnicity, class and health /James Y. Nazroo.London :Policy Studies Institute,2001
  • Baggott, Rob.:Public health :policy and politics /Rob Baggott.New York :St. Martin's Press,2000.
  • Gender inequalities in health /edited by Ellen Annandale and Kate Hunt.Buckingham Open University Press,2000
  • Department of Health The NHS Plan 2000

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