Since it was first published more than 40 years ago, The New Politics of the NHS has become established as the key overview of the NHS, its processes and its paths of influence, providing a clear, easy-to-read guide to often complex debates. This eighth edition continues to encompass both the background of the evolution of the NHS since its foundation, while also providing a picture of its present and future in a more pluralistic and financially austere era in which deference to medical expertise continues to erode and information on health and care is accessible to all, while at the same time scepticism and misinformation abound.

Reflecting events since the turn of the millennium and under successive government administrations, including strategies for coping with a new, much harsher economic environment, new chapters describe events in the past decade, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest change in government.

Assuming no prior knowledge of NHS politics and systems, The New Politics of the NHS focuses on management, structure, centralisation, funding, economic performance, challenges, current party-political debates, interest groups and rationing, and, ultimately, on the NHS’s institutional and cultural continuity as a tax-funded service providing comprehensive, universal health care that remains free at the point of delivery. The new edition is a vital update for all healthcare professionals, NHS managers, policy-makers and shapers, and those in special interest groups including patient advocacy organisations and remains essential reading for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of modern healthcare delivery.