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