Consuming Public Services

The public services are now at the centre of political debate in Britain: the National Health Service, education, housing, transport, social services, planning and the police are all matters of wide public and academic concern. So far the initiative in this debate has come overwhelmingly from the Right. Consuming Public Services offers a response from the Left. It presents a vivid panorama of the range of opportunities and problems that would be thrown up by the introduction of greater user control into Britain's public services. The contributors explore the theme of user control in seven public services that differ widely in character and organization. The editors' introduction sets these discussions in the context of a broader analysis and their concluding essay draws the threads together to provide a wide-ranging yet integrated analysis. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 3 Copyright......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 6 Contributors......Page 7 1 Introduction......Page 10 Defining the problem......Page 11 Rethinking public service......Page 15 Consumers first?......Page 17 Towards a synthesis......Page 19 Criteria for user control......Page 21 Down to cases......Page 22 References......Page 24 The nature of planning......Page 26 The development of public participation in planning......Page 29 The experience of the 1970s......Page 31 The critique of planning and public participation in the development of plans......Page 35 The way forward......Page 38 References......Page 41 Transport and the right of access......Page 44 Transport, personal choice, and collective action......Page 45 Transport policy up to 1979......Page 47 Developments under the Thatcher governments......Page 48 Influencing transport planning......Page 51 Public transport decisions......Page 53 The role of Transport Consumer Councils......Page 57 Conclusions......Page 60 References......Page 62 The nature of housing......Page 64 The private rented sector......Page 67 Public rented housing......Page 71 Individual control......Page 73 Collective control......Page 76 Owner occupation......Page 82 The policy framework......Page 84 Conclusions......Page 86 References......Page 89 The nature of policing and the police......Page 92 Constabulary independence......Page 94 The tripartite arrangement since 1964......Page 96 The politicization of policing policy......Page 98 Conclusions......Page 102 The number of police forces and their functions......Page 103 Constitutional issues......Page 104 Sensitizing the police to users’ needs and interests......Page 106 Organizational issues......Page 107 Safeguarding the rights of suspects......Page 108 The future......Page 110 References......Page 111 Introduction......Page 114 Our approach......Page 117 The legislative context......Page 119 Characteristics of social services legislation......Page 120 The rights of users......Page 121 Services for children at risk......Page 123 Services for people with a mental handicap......Page 128 Mental health services......Page 132 Services for frail elderly people......Page 136 Controlling and organizing the services......Page 142 Access to which services?......Page 143 Access—to whom?......Page 144 Accessible and responsive services......Page 145 Choice......Page 148 Information......Page 150 Redress......Page 151 Representation and participation......Page 152 Cost-effectiveness......Page 155 Accountability......Page 156 In conclusion......Page 158 References......Page 159 7 Health......Page 164 The relationship between service providers and users......Page 166 Competition and ‘internal markets’......Page 169 Complaints, audit and redress......Page 170 Complaints procedures......Page 171 Protection of patients and monitoring standards......Page 173 Disciplinary procedures......Page 175 Compensation and redress......Page 176 Management......Page 177 Representation......Page 180 Users and national policy......Page 181 Conclusions......Page 183 Personal information......Page 184 Complaints, audit, and redress......Page 185 Extending local democracy......Page 186 Empowering the community......Page 188 References......Page 189 The 1944 settlement: justice as fairness......Page 192 Dividing power and responsibility......Page 194 Nurturing young citizens......Page 195 From the mid-1970s: accountability to economy and society......Page 196 The 1980s: consumer rights and accountability......Page 197 From pamphlets to legislation: the 1988 Education Act......Page 199 Towards education for citizenship......Page 202 Can consumers realize public choice?......Page 203 The conditions for citizenship......Page 205 The enabling authority (LEA)......Page 206 Active citizens......Page 207 References......Page 209 Towards new forms of public services......Page 212 Sustaining a new public-sector initiative......Page 220 Envoi......Page 224 References......Page 225 Index......Page 228 The public services are now at the centre of political debate in Britain. This book presents a vivid panorama of the range of opportunities and problems that would be thrown up by the introduction of greater user control in Britain.