CHE/OHE workshop on the White Paper reforms

The government's recent White Paper on the NHS (“Equity and Excellence: liberating the NHS") announced a host of important reforms for the health service over future years.  

The Centre for Health Economics (CHE) organised an interactive workshop jointly with the Office of Health Economics (OHE) in London on December 8th on the topic of "Equity and Excellence: Economics and Evidence?".

The aim was to provide an analytical overview of the reforms and demonstrate the role of evidence arising from research undertaken by both CHE and the OHE.  It was aimed mainly at key policy makers and analysts in the Department of Health and the NHS and was attended by around 40 delegates.  Feedback included comments that “it was a very good event – I enjoyed it”(DoH policy lead) and “I learnt something new” (NHS analyst).

Presentations on key economic aspects of the reforms relating to GP commissioning, competition and productivity and efficiency were made by Nigel Rice, Hugh Gravelle, Andrew Street and Maria Goddard from CHE, as well as colleagues from the OHE.   CHE’s research has influenced policy and practice for almost 30 years and the impact of health economics at York on health and health care, was recognised by award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2007.