CONDITION CRITICAL:
HEALTH CARE, MARKETISING REFORMS AND THE MEDIA
A conference called by the International Association of Health Policy in
Europe (IAHPE) with the support of Coventry University’s School of Art
and Design and Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
Wednesday - Saturday June 17-20, 2009
Coventry University, UK
Also supported by the People’s Health Movement, the International
Journal of Health Services, the Politics of Health Group, the NHS
Consultants Association, and Keep Our NHS Public
Invited speakers include
Professor David Hunter, University of Durham
Professor Allyson Pollock, Centre for International Public Health
Policy, University of Edinburgh
Dr Julian Tudor Hart (author of The political economy of health care)
Professor Hans Ulrich Deppe, Frankfurt
Professor Alexis Benos, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki
(IAHPE President)
Dr John Lister, Coventry University
Physicians for a National Health Program (USA)
Conference Invitation and Call for Papers
It’s our pleasure to invite you to submit a paper and attend the XVth
conference of the International Association of Health Policy in Europe
(IAHPE), to be held in Coventry University, June 17-20 2009.
We welcome abstracts for research papers case studies and posters
relating the current situation and policy reforms in the health care
sector, and the way these are reported in the print and broadcast media.
The conference will
address six main themes.
• THE IMPACT OF THE CREDIT CRUNCH
• PRIMARY CARE
• ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE
• PUBLIC HEALTH
• MEDIA COVERAGE OF HEALTH AND HEALTH POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC RIGHT TO
KNOW
• ELDERLY CARE & MENTAL HEALTH: MARKETS v EQUITY
Conference context
The last twelve months has seen an escalating crisis of capitalism, with
major banks and corporations reduced to seeking colossal subsidies from
governments to secure their survival: and even the most unlikely governments
are resorting to nationalisation to prop up banks and businesses.
With the “market system” having effectively collapsed in many sectors,
who now can really argue that markets provide a rational or equitable
framework to deliver and allocate health care?
The economic crisis and the “credit crunch” are already triggering a
squeeze on public sector spending: but the policies being rolled out in
health care systems in Europe and around the world are not economy
measures to cut
costs, but much more expensive, wasteful and bureaucratic than the
systems they replace.
Throughout Europe, governments are pressing ahead with so-called
“reforms” which threaten to undo decades of progress towards universal
health care, and return health services to the status of commodities in
a competitive
market place. A new, parasitic, private sector which could not survive,
let alone flourish on the basis of genuine competition and market
forces, is taking shape and growing – as a result of huge government
patronage and public funding.
The new health care “market” which is increasingly replacing any form of
planning is not centred on equity or universal access to care: its
bottom line is grabbing a larger share of the public sector and social
insurance budgets, to deliver larger profits to shareholders. can this
type of system benefit patients, or develop a service that can attract
and retain the
dedicated workforce that is needed to meet health needs in the 21st century?
And as governments push through policies and develop new health care
systems which are more expensive, less efficient and far less popular
then the previous systems, they seek to do so covertly, without
explaining their proposals or their long-term plans to the electorate.
How effectively are the print and broadcast media revealing and
explaining these policies? How far are newspaper, radio and TV bosses
willing to resource serious news coverage or open debate, and how far do
they share the hidden agenda of privatisation and marketisation of
health care?
This conference aims to bring together academics and students,
campaigners, health professionals and journalists from across Europe to
discuss the state our health services are in, the trajectory of present
policies, the implicit
threat of privatisation which hangs over our health services – and the
extent to which these issues are known and understood by journalists and
their audience.
CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite academics, students, journalists, campaigners and health
workers to submit abstracts for papers or posters on topics related to
any of the six main themes. Abstracts should be not more than 200 words,
identifying which theme the paper will address, and accompanied by a
brief note on the
author(s), and their academic or professional affiliation.
Abstracts should be submitted for peer-review online by midnight on
Monday March 2 at www.healthp.org
Authors will be notified by the Conference Review Committee whether or
not their proposals have been accepted for presentation at the
conference, or as a poster, by Friday April 3. Acceptance of papers is
contingent upon the author registering for the conference, and
presenting their work in person at the conference in Coventry.
Completed papers received by June 5 will be printed in the collected
conference papers.
How to register and submit an abstract
PLEASE REGISTER and SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT for the conference via the
IAHPE website www.healthp.org/abstracts
During the submission process, in the “Authors & affiliation” section do
not forget to include your e-mail address so we can contact you.
REGISTRATION: what’s included
Registration fee includes conference admission and conference pack, a
welcome reception, lunches on Thursday and Friday, with refreshments
morning and afternoon, and a Friday night conference dinner. Hotel
accommodation is
NOT included, but delegates may claim a special discounted rate at the
nearby Ramada hotel (see back page).
CONFERENCE FEES:
* People from EU countries, the US and Canada: £120 (register before
April 1), £150 (late registration)
* People from other countries: £60 (register before April 1), £75 (late
registration)
* Postgraduate students: £50
* All Coventry University students, and all undergraduate students: £20.
Pay registration online at www.healthp.org or by cheque (payable to Public
Service Insight) posted to:
John Lister, c/o Media & Communication, Coventry University,
Priory St, Coventry CV1 5FB.
Don’t forget to enclose full contact details if you pay by cheque.
Full details and updates on www.healthp.org
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