Learning from Bristol: reflections from a health economist Available to Purchase

The Kennedy Report will almost certainly become a defining moment in the history of UK healthcare. On the whole the NHS is poor at learning from history and there is a wealth of important information to be drawn from the report and the whole experience of Bristol. This article distils the essential clinical governance messages that risk being lost. While many of the issues can be viewed from an economic perspective, much of what is required is a change in attitude across whole health economies. The contribution that economics can make is to design appropriate incentive mechanisms to bring about desired behavioural change. It can also continue to promote informed debate on the proper meaning of efficiency and to highlight the features required for an appropriate and effective regulatory framework.