Dr Alison Talbot-Smith, an experienced doctor and researcher, and Professor Allyson M. Pollock, one of the UKs leading authorities on the NHS, give a lucid and incisive account of the new NHS - which has emerged from a far-reaching programme of market-oriented changes. Providing an authoritative and accessible overview of the new NHS, the book describes: the structures and functions of the new organizations in each of the devolved countries the funding of NHS services, education, training and research and resource allocation the regulation of the new NHS systems and workforce the relationships between the NHS, the Department of Health, local authorities and regulatory bodies, and between the NHS and the private sector the future implications of current policies. This is an indispensable resource for those working in healthcare today as clinicians, academics, researchers and managers. It will also be essential reading for academics, students, and researchers in related fields, as well as the general public.