Making the Patient-consumer : Patient Organisations and Health Consumerism in Britain

Over the last fifty years, British patients have been made into consumers. Since the 1960s, concepts common within consumerism have found a place in health policy and practice. In a short space of time, the position of patients in Britain appears to have changed fundamentally. Until relatively recently, it was not uncommon for patients to be told little about the condition that they were suffering from or its likely outcome. That such a situation would be (almost) inconceivable today points not only to changes in the doctorpatient relationship, but also to a wider shift in the way in which patients see themselves and are seen by others. This book aims to explore how and why such a shift took place, and why it was that these changes were framed by the concept of consumerism. Making the patient-consumer explores the development of patient-consumerism from the 1960s to 2010 in relation to seven key areas: patient autonomy, representation, complaint, rights, information, voice and choice. These concepts were used initially by patient organisations to construct the figure of the patient-consumer, but by the 1990s the government had taken over as the main actor shaping ideas about patient consumerism. Making the patient-consumer is the first empirical, historical account of a fundamental shift in modern British health policy and practice. The book will be of use to historians, public policy analysts and all those attempting to better understand the nature of contemporary healthcare. Explores the development of patient-consumerism from the 1960s to 2010 in relation to seven key areas: patient autonomy, representation, complaint, rights, information, voice and choice. Over the last fifty years, British patients have been made into consumers. Since the 1960s, concepts common within consumerism have found a place in health policy and practice. In a short space of time, the position of patients in Britain appears to have changed fundamentally. Until relatively recently, it was not uncommon for patients to be told little about the condition that they were suffering from or its likely outcome. That such a situation would be (almost) inconceivable today points not only to changes in the doctor-patient relationship, but also to a wider shift in the way in which patients see themselves and are seen by others. This book aims to explore how and why such a shift took place, and why it was that these changes were framed by the concept of consumerism.Making the patient-consumer explores the development of patient-consumerism from the 1960s to 2010 in relation to seven key areas: patient autonomy, representation, complaint, rights, information, voice and choice. These concepts were used initially by patient organisations to construct the figure of the patient-consumer, but by the 1990s the government had taken over as the main actor shaping ideas about patient consumerism. Making the patient-consumer is the first empirical, historical account of a fundamental shift in modern British health policy and practice. The book will be of use to historians, public policy analysts and all those attempting to better understand the nature of contemporary healthcare. Over the last fifty years, British patients have been transformed into consumers. This book considers how and why the figure of the patient-consumer was brought into being, paying particular attention to the role played by patient organisations. Making the patient-consumer explores the development of patient-consumerism from the 1960s to 2010 in relation to seven key areas. Patient autonomy, representation, complaint, rights, information, voice and choice were all central to the making of the patient-consumer. These concepts were used initially by patient organisations, but by the 1990s the government had taken over as the main actor shaping ideas about patient-consumerism. This volume is the first empirical, historical account of a fundamental shift in modern British health policy and practice. The book will be of use to historians, public policy analysts and all those attempting to better understand the nature of contemporary healthcare MAKING THE PATIENT-CONSUMER: Patient Organisations and Health Consumerism in Britain 1 Half Title Page 2 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 12 1 Autonomy 29 2 Representation 53 3 Complaint 80 4 Rights 105 5 Information 128 6 Voice 153 7 Choice 180 Conclusion 203 Bibliography 220 Index 244