This book brings together public services policy and public services management in a novel way that is likely to resonate with academics, policy makers and practitioners engaged in the organization of public services delivery as it is from a perspective that challenges many received ideas in this field.

Starting from the perspective of critical management studies, the contributors to this volume embed a critical perspective on policy orthodoxy around critical public services policy and management studies (CPPMS). In so doing the authors bring together previous disparate fields of...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an all too common lung condition which varies markedly in severity between individuals. The term COPD covers conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and around 80% of cases are believed to develop as a result of smoking. Lung problems, which often fail to improve significantly over time, cause symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, a reduced ability to exercise, and frequent chest infections. COPD: The Facts is written primarily for sufferers and their families, and will help readers to understand the disease and its...

Asthma is a very common chronic disease involving the respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict, become inflamed, and are lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more triggers. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses, such as those that cause the common cold and identifiable allergies. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. While measurement of airway function is possible for adults, most new cases are diagnosed in children who are unable to perform such...