Tapping health care resources: a comparison of US and UK strategies

The United Kingdom and the United States are both facing dramatic changes in health care delivery and resource allocation, brought about by advanced technology, limited financial (and in some cases human) resources and conflicting values regarding the right to health care. The differences and similarities of their health care systems provide a favourable research environment for comparing how the two countries acquire and allocate their respective health care resources. For the purpose of such a comparative study, two sites were selected, the London region of Central Thames and the US city of Energytown (only the names are fictitious). Central Thames is representative of an English region in size, administrative structure and health services; Energytown is representative of an oil city in the US Midwest. National policy, reductions in health care funds and size make the areas amenable to a comparative study.