Policy Matters: How can economists help the Department of Health and Social Care?

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Carol Propper, Professor of Economics at Imperial College London and a former Senior Economic Advisor to the NHS Executive on Regulation of the NHS Internal Market. We might not immediately think of economists when we think about healthcare, but Carol explains how economists can help with the design of a healthcare system that will produce the health outcomes that we would all want, taking into account the incentives faced by the various people and institutions involved. Carol discusses her research showing that equal pay for NHS nurses across the country led to increased death rates for patients in London, as well as other findings which reveal how NHS reforms have had life-saving consequences. Matt, Franz and Carol then go on to discuss socio-economic inequalities in health and their relationship with healthcare before Carol gives us her prescription for the NHS and looks ahead to how future research might help improve healthcare in this country.