The political economy of health care: where the NHS came from and where it could lead Tudor Hart, Julian

Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-293) and indexes.

In his widely read book the Gift, Lewis Hyde gives an account of the research he conducted whilst trying to understand his own struggle to survive, in a largely commercialised world, as an artist. He examines the many benefits of gift economies in a range of settings across wide spans of history and geography. It has become fashionable to criticise the sort of gift economy that has characterised the operation of the NHS. One of Tudor Hart's central themes relates to the benefits and efficiencies of this type of economy in health care systems. He provides a sound argument, together with a good deal of evidence, to support his thesis and a stern and thorough rebuttal to the usual criticisms.