benefits in expanding nursing roles, were visible, contributing to primary care quality.
The recent reform of the English National Health Service (NHS) through the Health and Social Care Act of 2012 introduced important changes in the organization, management, and provision of public health services in England. This study aims to analyze the NHS reforms in the historical context of predominance of neoliberal theories since 1980 and to discuss the "liberalization" of the NHS. The study identifies and analyzes three phases: (i) gradual ideological and theoretical substitution (1979-1990) - transition from professional and health logic to management and commercial logic; (ii) bureaucracy and incipient market (1991-2004) - structuring of the bureaucracy focused on administration of the internal market and expansion of pro-market measures; and (iii) opening to the market, fragmentation, and discontinuity of services (2005-2012) - weakening of the territorial health model and consolidation of health as an open market for public and private providers. This gradual but constant liberalization has closed services and restricted access, jeopardizing the system's comprehensiveness, equity, and universal healthcare entitlement in the NHS.
Economic crises carry a substantial impact on population health and health systems, but little is known on how these transmit to health workers (HWs). Addressing such a gap is timely as HWs are pivotal resources, particularly during pandemics or the ensuing recessions. Drawing from the empirical literature, we aimed to provide a framework for understanding the impact of recessions on HWs and their reactions. We use a systematic review and best-fit framework synthesis approach to identify the relevant qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods evidence, and refine an a priori, theory-based conceptual framework. Eight relevant databases were searched, and four reviewers employed to independently review full texts, extract data and appraise the quality of the evidence retrieved. A total of 57 peer-reviewed publications were included, referring to six economic recessions. The 2010–15 Great Recession in Europe was the subject of most (52%) of the papers. Our consolidated framework suggests that recessions transmit to HWs through three channels: (1) an increase in the demand for services; (2) the impacts of austerity measures; and (3) changes in the health labour market. Some of the evidence appeared specific to the context of crises; demand for health services and employment increased during economic recessions in North America and Oceania, but stagnated or declined in Europe in connection with the austerity measures adopted. Burn-out, lay-offs, migration and multiple jobholding were the reactions observed in Europe, but job opportunities never dwindled for physicians during recessions in North America, with nurses re-entering labour markets during such crises. Loss of motivation, absenteeism and abuse of health systems were documented during recessions in low-income countries. Although the impacts of recessions may vary across economic events, health systems, labour markets and policy responses, our review and framework provide an evidence base for policies to mitigate the effects on HWs.
IntroductionDuring economic recessions, health professionals face reduced income and labour opportunities, hard conditions often exacerbated by governments’ policy responses to crises. Growing evidence points to non-negligible effects on national health workforces and health systems—decrease in motivation, burnout, migration—arising from the combination of crisis-related factors. However, no theoretical conceptualisation currently exists framing the impacts recessions have on human resources for health (HRH), or on their reactions.Methods and analysisThis paper lays out a protocol for a systematic review of the existing qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method evidence on the economic recessions and HRH; results from the review will be used to develop a conceptual framework linking existing theories on recessions, austerity measures, health systems and population health, with a view of informing future health policies. Eight relevant databases within the health, health systems, multidisciplinary and economic literature will be searched, complemented by secondary searches and experts’ input. Eligible studies will present primary quantitative or qualitative evidence on HRH impacts, or original secondary analyses. We will cover the 1970–2019 period—the modern age of global economic recessions—and full texts in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese or Greek. Two reviewers will independently assess, perform data extraction and conduct quality appraisal of the texts identified. A ‘best-fit’ framework synthesis will be applied to summarise the findings, using an a priori, theoretically driven framework. That preliminary framework was built by the research team to inform the searches, and will be appraised by external experts.Ethics and disseminationIn addition to peer-reviewed publications, the new framework will be presented in global health systems research conferences and inform regional policy dialogue workshops in Latin America on economic recessions and health systems.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019134165.
Background Economic recessions carry an impact on population health and access to care; less is known on how health systems adapt to the conditions brought by a downturn. This particularly matters now that the COVID-19 epidemic is putting health systems under stress. Brazil is one of the world’s most affected countries, and its health system was already experiencing the aftermath of the 2015 recession. Methods Between 2018 and 2019 we conducted 46 semi-structured interviews with health practitioners, managers and policy-makers to explore the impact of the 2015 recession on public and private providers in prosperous (São Paulo) and impoverished (Maranhão) states in Brazil. Thematic analysis was employed to identify drivers and consequences of system adaptation and coping strategies. Nvivo software was used to aid data collection and analysis. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research to provide an account of the findings. Results We found the concept of ‘health sector crisis’ to be politically charged among healthcare providers in São Paulo and Maranhão. Contrary to expectations, the public sector was reported to have found ways to compensate for diminishing federal funding, having outsourced services and adopted flexible–if insecure–working arrangements. Following a drop in employment and health plans, private health insurance companies have streamlined their offer, at times at the expenses of coverage. Low-cost walk-in clinics were hit hard by the recession, but were also credited for having moved to cater for higher-income customers in Maranhão. Conclusions The ‘plates’ of a health system may shift and adjust in unexpected ways in response to recessions, and some of these changes might outlast the crisis. As low-income countries enter post-COVID economic recessions, it will be important to monitor the adjustments taking place in health systems, to ensure that past gains in access to care and job security are not eroded.
Background. Economic recessions carry an impact on population health and access to care; less is known on how health systems adapt to the conditions brought by a downturn. This particularly matters now that the COVID-19 epidemic is putting health systems under stress. Brazil is one of the world’s most affected countries, and its health system was already living the aftermath of the 2015 recession. Methods. Between 2018 and 2019 we conducted 46 semi-structured interviews with health practitioners, managers and policy-makers to explore the impact of the 2015 recession on public and private providers in prosperous (São Paulo) and impoverished (Maranhão) states in Brazil. Thematic analysis was employed to identify drivers and consequences of system adaptation and coping strategies. Nvivo software was used to aid data collection and analysis. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research to provide an account of the findings.Results. We found the concept of ‘health sector crisis’ to be politically charged among healthcare providers in São Paulo and Maranhão. Contrary to expectations, the public sector was reported to have found ways to compensate for diminishing federal funding, having outsourced services and adopted flexible – if insecure – working arrangements. Following a drop in employment and health plans, private health insurance companies streamlined their offer, at times at the expenses of coverage. Low-cost walk-in clinics were hit hard by the recession, but also credited for having moved to cater for higher-income customers in Maranhão.Conclusions. The ‘plates’ of a health system may shift and adjust in unexpected ways in response to recessions, and some of these changes might outlast the crisis. As low-income countries enter post-COVID recessions, it will be important to monitor the adjustments taking place in health systems, to ensure that past gains in access to care and job security are not eroded.
Getting data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre in England is time consuming and expensive—and Jonathan Filippon is still waiting
The Brazilian state apparatus was reformed throughout the 1990s, influenced by New Public Management (NPM). NPM was embodied in the health care sector by the creation of Social Health Organizations ( Organizações Sociais de Saúde or OSS), private non-profit entities to provide welfare services. We performed a systematic review of the literature outlining the origins and role of OSS in Brazil. Our selected articles (peer-reviewed) cover the origins/performance of OSS and their services provision between 1998 and 2018, in English or Portuguese. Databases used were Lilacs, Bireme, Medline, Pubmed, and SciELO. We identified 4,732 articles applying a pre-defined set of descriptors, from which we selected 49 for analysis. The main findings reveal that NPM is the central theme of most articles about OSS in Brazil (n = 26). There is evidence corroborating our hypothesis that transferring management of public health care services to private non-profit organizations is a softer version of privatization as, although financing is kept public, the rationale and ethos of OSS services institutionally and operationally mimic the private sector. The practical consequence is that attainment of health care in Brazil ends up being neither fully commodified (based on ability to pay) nor fulfilled as a citizen’s right following its national constitution.
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