This timely comparative study assesses the role of medical doctors in reforming publicly funded health services in England and Canada. Respected authors from health and legal backgrounds on both sides of the Atlantic consider how the high status of the profession uniquely influences reforms. With summaries of developments in models of care, and the participation of doctors since the inception of publicly funded healthcare systems, they ask whether professionals might be considered allies or enemies of policy-makers. With insights for future health policy and research, the book is an important contribution to debates about the complex relationship between doctors and the systems in which they practice.Health and legal experts from England and Canada consider the influence of medical doctors on reforms in this comparative study. With reflections on participation since the inception of publicly-funded healthcare systems, they show how the status of doctors affects change and highlights their complex role as both allies and enemies to reformers.