Publics and Their Health Systems

Drawing on a detailed case study of Scotland's National Health Service, this book argues that debates about citizen participation in health systems are disproportionately dominated by techniques of invited participation. A 'system's-eye' perspective, while often well-intentioned, has blinded us to other standpoints for understanding the complex relationship between publics and their health systems.
 
Publics and Their Health Systems takes a 'citizen's-eye' perspective, exploring not only conventional invited participation, but also the realms of representative democracy, contentious protest politics, and the micro-level tactics used by individual citizens in their encounters with health services. The book highlights more oppositional dynamics than those which characterise much invited participation, and argues that understanding these is a crucial step towards a more inclusive and democratic health system.

Ellen Stewart is Research Fellow in the Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK. She holds a Chief Scientist Office Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate public protests and evidence use in hospital closure processes. She has previously worked at the University of St Andrews, UK, and the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.