17 September 2009

British Lessons for US Health Care Reform

The New England Journal of Medicine is currently running a series of articles on Health Care Reforms for the USA following on the Obama proposals Stability & Security for All Americans.

Professor David Kerr from the University of Oxford - the author of the plan which led to the reforms described in Delivering For Health in Scotland in 2005 - and Dr Mairi Scott from the University of Dundee have written a perspective article which describes lessons from the NHS which can help including specifically the value and importance of a strong integral primary care and GP service.

The article states, 'The jewel in the Crown [of the NHS] is the strength of its primary care and its general practitioners.'

It goes on to suggest that the weaknesses of Primary Care in the US is an area that must be addressed if the Obama proposals for reform are to be sustainable.

The full article can be seen at: http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=1702&query=TOC.

Dr Scott is available for interview.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902