Reforms and organization of the British National Health System: lessons to the Brazilian National Health System

Abstract

This paper describes and analyzes critically the United Kingdom's National Health System (NHS) reforms that have been implemented since the 1990s. The analysis is based on the political and administrative reforms, the changes in the financial framework, and the outcomes in health care. This study of the NHS reforms, mainly of the political and organizational process, allows the identification of analogies with the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). Innovative strategies such as: a) defining General Practitioner funders to enhance administrative autonomy and to improve efficiency; b) public hospital trusts; c) financial distribution within the different kinds of health services, were analyzed comparatively with the SUS. Although the social and historical contexts of the two systems are different, it is possible to identify lessons learned that may be useful and profitable to the improvement process of the principles of the SUS: Universality, Integrality and Equity.