This work analyzes the contribution made by the UKCC to the development of the nursing profession in this country since the 1970s. It details the key issues the council grappled with during this time and provides in-depth analyses of the complexity of these issues. There is a general consensus that the current view of nursing's regulatory body will culminate in a major shake up of the way the nursing profession is governed and in which the UKCC will be radically transformed. This publication of the history of the UKCC marks the close of a very significant period in nursing's history and the...

This wide-ranging text on research methods in health and social care introduces readers to different kinds of evidence and helps them to evaluate the unique contributions of each. It acknowledges the variety of contexts in which practitioners work and the challenges of putting research into practice. The book introduces readers to research of different kinds - the randomised controlled trial, the survey, qualitative research and action research - and highlights the underlying logic and value of each. It also addresses economic appraisal, and ethical issues in research. The text goes on to...

Examines the interpretation and use of evidence collected through research, with the goal of promoting good practice.

Contains articles exploring the challenges facing professionals across the spectrum of health and social care. This book examines topics including: accountability to service users, funders and communities; the skills needed for teamwork and collaboration; and ethical dilemmas of working in conditions of resource constraint.

Involving citizens in policy decision-making processes - deliberative democracy - has been a central goal of the Labour government since it came to power in 1997. But what happens when members of the public are drawn into unfamiliar debate, with unfamiliar others, in the unfamiliar world of policy making at national level?This book sets out to understand the contribution that citizens can realistically be expected to make. Drawing on the lessons from an ethnographic study of a public involvement initiative in the health service - the Citizens Council of NICE (National Institute for Clinical...

In the wake of current public services turmoil, this book reexamines the collective compact that created the UK s public health services in the 1940s. Drawing on testimony from service users and service providers, the contributors explore topics such as new ways of living and working with long-term health conditions, meaningful and effective approaches to service redesign, use of information technology, leadership, coproduction, and quality of service. "Better Health in Harder Times" is a book composed of short, accessible contributions that will be of interest to a wide range of...