Caring within a framework

Abstract

The material in this chapter is principally that which affects the health care worker during his or her employment. The largest health care employer in the UK is undoubtedly the NHS, which at some time or other touches the lives of the vast majority of people living in this country. The development and current structure of the NHS are discussed, together with its legal basis and some resource issues affecting the organisation in the present climate. The effects of European legislation on the NHS are discussed briefly, but these are dealt with primarily in other chapters, particularly that which examines safety in care delivery (Chapter 4). Closely linked to the success or failure of any business, in modern parlance including the NHS, are the availability of resources and the costing of care, together with its effect on the individual, whether client or employee; consideration is therefore given to these issues. The reader will find that useful further reading is supplied by books on social policy and economics in addition to those from legal and ethical fields of study.