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Kavanagh et al: British Politics 5e

Chapter 28

Health and education policy: the welfare state we're in

The Department of Health
www.dh.gov.uk/
The Department of Health exists to "improve the health and wellbeing of people in England" (healthcare is an area of devolved policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). There are comprehensive links and resources to explore on this site. When exploring current policy and practice the 'Policy and guidance' and 'Publications and Statistics' sections are the most useful point of departure.

The Department for Education and Skills
www.dfes.gov.uk/
The Department for Education and Skills website is really a network of interconnected sites on all aspects of education in England (again education is largely a devolved area of policy in the rest of the UK). The homepage provides easy access to resources valuable to parents (statistical indicators of individual school performance) in addition to policy orientated resources which will be of greater interests to those wanting to understand the contemporary politics of education.

The Kings Fund
www.kingsfund.org.uk/
The Kings Fund is a charitable foundation established at the close of the 19th century and which now also serves as a focus for research and analysis of contemporary health policy. The easiest way to explore the work of the Kings Fund is to click on 'Health Resources' which reveals the broad scope of the research undertaken and typically provides you with access to the full text of publications in Adobe Acrobat format.

The British Medical Association
www.bma.org.uk/
The British Medical Association is the archetypal 'insider group' in relation to health policy. It is the professional association of virtually all doctors in the UK and is regularly consulted by the Department of Health. You can find details of its policies and recommendations on the site, not only in respect of the organisation and management of the NHS but also in respect of moral and ethical issues in the medical professional which as frequently generate political controversy.

National Union of Students
www.nusonline.co.uk/
The National Union of Students is the federal body representing student unions across the United Kingdom (and which has boasted two recent Cabinet ministers among its former Presidents). Like many contemporary unions, its homepage lays as much stress on the services it can provide for its members as it does on its stance in relation to educational issues. Nevertheless you can find information on the varied campaigns it undertakes in relation to the educational system in the UK.