Nancy North

In the context of the 'cross-cutting' policy ambitions of the current Labour government, Working together or pulling apart? examines the contribution of the NHS to the multi-agency and inter-professional child protection process. Applying the insights of policy network and inter-organisational analysis, the text: provides detailed information on the current role played by a range of health professionals within child protection; investigates the nature and operation of the central policy community and local provider networks; considers the tensions arising from differences of professional power and knowledge, organisational cultures and agendas, and governance and regulation; examines the impact of wider socio-political changes on the operation of the child protection process, at both central and local levels. Working together or pulling apart? will be essential reading for all those working in child protection, at both strategic and frontline levels, within the NHS and other agencies. In addition, it will be of interest to staff and students on undergraduate or postgraduate courses in health, social work, public and social policy.

General practice as developed in the UK National Health Service has few parallels. Moreover, it has been the subject of substantial reform over the past decade. This book synthesises and presents recent research and policy development in the NHS, focusing particularly on general practice and primary care. From a health policy context, it assesses the diverse impacts of health care reforms on general practice and examines the future challenges facing primary health care in a dynamic policy environment.

Britain's health service has seen a period of unprecedented change over the last decade. It is small wonder therefore that today's nursing and healthcare students (as well as their teachers) find it difficult to understand the organisation in which they work. A team of authors from Portsmouth University have tackled this problem head on. In Perspectives in Health Care they have produced a straightforward introduction to social policy for nurses, nursing students and other health care professionals.