Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 November 2024
This chapter discusses the implications of considering the health system as part of the national social infrastructure, using the example of the demand surge experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic for the UK’s rationed, largely free at the point of need National Health Service (NHS). It explores the impact of the past prioritization of the cost efficiency of the service rather than long-term need. An infrastructure perspective incorporating resilience and peak-demand considerations sheds new light on the performance of the health service and underlines the role of healthcare systems in human capital investment and economy-wide productivity.
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