Donald Light

The quality of health care in the US depends on the patient's ability to pay and his or her insurance cover, at an annual cost of $3600 per head of population. In the UK, the quality of care costs less at an annual cost of $1000 per head of population, although care is sometimes delayed through a lack of resources. This book compares the two systems from the viewpoint of primary care, identifying some models of excellence from which both can benefit. It draws on the experience of the NHS reforms in the UK and the political imperative to control costs and improve the service in the US.