scholarly journals How Good is the Science That Informs Government Policy? A Lesson From the U.K.’s Response to 2020 CoV-2 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Cooper ◽  
Neofytos Dimitriou ◽  
Ognjen Arandjelovíc
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Scientific Advice ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Government

AbstractIn an era when public faith in politicians is dwindling, yet trust in scientists remains relatively high, governments are increasingly emphasizing the role of science based policy-making in response to challenges such as climate change and global pandemics. In this paper we question the quality of some scientific advice given to governments and the robustness and transparency of the entire framework which envelopes such advice, all of which raise serious ethical concerns. In particular we focus on the so-called Imperial Model which heavily influenced the government of the United Kingdom in devising its response to the COVID-19 crisis. We focus on and highlight several fundamental methodological flaws of the model, raise concerns as to the robustness of the system which permitted these to remain unchallenged, and discuss the relevant ethical consequences.

The Chilcot Report

2019 ◽  
pp. 273-288
Author(s):  
Stephen Bouwhuis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
International Law ◽  
Legal Practice ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Legal Advice ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
General Relevance ◽  
The Government

The inquiry by the United Kingdom into its decision to intervene in Iraq is one of the longest running and most comprehensive examinations of government decision-making. In particular, the inquiry examined in detail the processes by which legal advice was provided to and formed a part of the decision by the Government of the United Kingdom to intervene in Iraq. Through this lens, the current chapter examines what the inquiry illustrates about the general relevance of international law to the decision to intervene in Iraq and more broadly what illustrates about the role of international law in decision-making more generally. In particular, the chapter pertains to the practical and ethical aspects providing international legal advice to government as well as the nature of government legal practice more generally.

scholarly journals Implementing medical revalidation in the United Kingdom: Findings about organisational changes and impacts from a survey of Responsible Officers

2017 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Walshe ◽  
Alan Boyd ◽  
Marie Bryce ◽  
Kayleigh Luscombe ◽  
Abigail Tazzyman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Professional Contexts

Objective To describe the implementation of medical revalidation in healthcare organisations in the United Kingdom and to examine reported changes and impacts on the quality of care. Design A cross-sectional online survey gathering both quantitative and qualitative data about structures and processes for medical revalidation and wider quality management in the organisations which employ or contract with doctors (termed ‘designated bodies’) from the senior doctor in each organisation with statutory responsibility for medical revalidation (termed the ‘Responsible Officer’). Setting United Kingdom Participants Responsible Officers in designated bodies in the United Kingdom. Five hundred and ninety-five survey invitations were sent and 374 completed surveys were returned (63%). Main outcome measures The role of Responsible Officers, the development of organisational mechanisms for quality assurance or improvement, decision-making on revalidation recommendations, impact of revalidation and mechanisms for quality assurance or improvement on clinical practice and suggested improvements to revalidation arrangements. Results Responsible Officers report that revalidation has had some impacts on the way medical performance is assured and improved, particularly strengthening appraisal and oversight of quality within organisations and having some impact on clinical practice. They suggest changes to make revalidation less ‘one size fits all’ and more responsive to individual, organisational and professional contexts. Conclusions Revalidation appears primarily to have improved systems for quality improvement and the management of poor performance to date. There is more to be done to ensure it produces wider benefits, particularly in relation to doctors who already perform well.

Regional Parties and National Politics in Europe

2002 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 657-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM B. HELLER
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
National Politics ◽  
Regional Parties ◽  
Nationalist Party ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Popular Party ◽  
The Relationship

Parties participate in national politics that do not pretend to national presence. The author asks whether such parties affect policy outcomes and concludes that they do, albeit in unexpected ways. Basically, nonnational parties influence policy making under certain conditions by trading policy for authority. They help national parties get the policies they want in return for transfers of policy-making authority to regional governments. This willingness to support national policies with minimal amendment makes regional parties attractive partners for national parties in government. The author examines this argument in light of detailed evidence from Spain's minority Socialist and Popular Party governments in the 1990s, along with discussions of the role of regionalism in Belgian politics and of the relationship between the Scottish Nationalist Party and the Labour Party in the United Kingdom.

Challenges to Professional Autonomy in the United Kingdom? The Perceptions of General Practitioners

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Calnan ◽  
Simon Williams
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
The United States ◽  
Professional Autonomy ◽  
New Managerialism ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

Theoretical analysis has suggested that so-called threats to professional autonomy in the United States might also be manifesting themselves in the United Kingdom through the introduction of market principles and the new “managerialism” into the National Health Service by the government and through the emergence of complementary medicine and the role of the “articulate” consumer. The authors explore these issues by focusing on how a sample of the “rank and file” of general practitioners perceive these potential challenges from “above and below.” The evidence suggests that the social, economic, and clinical freedoms of general practitioners remain intact although these external influences appear to have changed the style of clinical practice, which is a source of concern and dissatisfaction to some general practitioners.

It takes change to remain the same: The transformation of Swedish government policy making in economic crises and the involvement of social partners

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110208
Author(s):  
Ola Bergström ◽  
Alexander Styhre
Keyword(s):  
Government Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
The State ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
The Government ◽  
Theoretical Developments

The government responses to the corona crisis across the world has actualized an old debate regarding the role of the state and government policy making in economic crises. This debate should, the authors of this article argue, be understood in the context of how government policy making has been transformed in advanced capitalist economies in the past five decades and recent theoretical developments regarding the role of actors and institutions involved in the production and dissemination of ideas in such transformations. Drawing on an extensive review of policy making and changes in policy making doctrines, this article examines the role of government public investigations in the transformation of the Swedish government policy making in relation to economic crises where the state supports policy making through social partners.

Do the Opinions Expressed by the Conseil D'Etat in its Capacity as Legal Adviser to the Government Influence Policy?

2000 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 672-679
Author(s):  
Nicole Questiaux
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Government Influence ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Legal Adviser ◽  
The Government ◽  
Legal Difficulties ◽  
Constitutional Changes ◽  
Judicial Role

My title for this article reflects a very proper question for a foreign audience which has become more familiar than in the past with the dual (consultative and judicial) role of the French Conseil d'etat. For many years, interest in Britain focused on the judicial function of the Conseil. More recently, attention has shifted to the activities of the “sections administratives”, which involve the screening and the drafting of all the proposed legislation and the essential part of subordinate regulations prepared by government. I have the feeling this interest is probably fuelled by the recent constitutional changes in the United Kingdom, and the need to prevent legal difficulties cropping up between different and new political bodies.

scholarly journals CIVIL SOCIETY STRATEGIES AND PROJECTS IN FLOOD HIT AREA: A CASE OF PAKISTAN FLOOD AFFECTED AREAS

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Jamshid Ali Turi ◽  
Hassan Basheer ◽  
Shahryar Sorooshian ◽  
Sadia Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Affected Area ◽  
Government Response ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Government ◽  
Civil Societies

In the past few decades, the frequency of floods has increased in Pakistan. Climate change and poor policy-making and management system across the country is the main reason for the increasing floods in Pakistan. However, the role and potential of Civil Society has not been acknowledged by different stakeholders in disaster management. The aim of the study to explore the role of civil societies contributes to the flood-affected area also how their efforts can be more meaningful for the flood-affected communities. A quantitative study based on a questionnaire conducted in village Ghangwal. The study reveals that Civil Societies responses are quicker than the government response to the flood-affected areas. The major role of Civil Society is in rescue and recovery phases. However, in mitigation and rehabilitation phases the role is limited. The government can reduce the risks of floods if the Local Government system and coordinated efforts at all level are ensured.  In the conclusion, the study identified four major areas where Civil Societies support the affected communities are civil society’s response is quicker and more immediate; rescue the affected people and nature of help extended by the civil societies; basic needs of the affected people so the need-based assessment was carried out to compensate and rehabilitate the prospective flood victims. Lastly, the study discovered the methods of distribution of relief-goods among the victims.

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