United Kingdom Quality of Legislation: an achievable universal concept or an utopia pursuit?

Author(s):  
Helen Xanthaki
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Majsiak ◽  
Magdalena Choina ◽  
Dominik Golicki ◽  
Alastair M. Gray ◽  
Bożena Cukrowska

Abstract Background Coeliac disease (CD) is characterised by diverse clinical symptoms, which may cause diagnostic problems and reduce the patients’ quality of life. A study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that the mean time between the onset of coeliac symptoms and being diagnosed was above 13 years. This study aimed to analyse the diagnostic process of CD in Poland and evaluate the quality of life of patients before and after CD diagnosis. In addition, results were compared to the results of the original study conducted in the UK. Methods The study included 2500 members of the Polish Coeliac Society. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire containing questions on socio-demographic factors, clinical aspects and quality of life, using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Questionnaires received from 796 respondents were included in the final analysis. Results The most common symptoms reported by respondents were bloating (75%), abdominal pain (72%), chronic fatigue (63%) and anaemia (58%). Anaemia was the most persistent symptom, with mean duration prior to CD diagnosis of 9.2 years, whereas diarrhoea was observed for the shortest period (4.7 years). The mean duration of any symptom before CD diagnosis was 7.3 years, compared to 13.2 years in the UK. CD diagnosis and the introduction of a gluten-free diet substantially improved the quality of life in each of the five EQ-5D-5L health dimensions: pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression, usual activities, self-care and mobility (p < 0.001), the EQ-Index by 0.149 (SD 0.23) and the EQ-VAS by 30.4 (SD 28.3) points. Conclusions Duration of symptoms prior to the diagnosis of CD in Poland, although shorter than in the UK, was long with an average of 7.3 years from first CD symptoms. Faster CD diagnosis after the onset of symptoms in Polish respondents may be related to a higher percentage of children in the Polish sample. Introduction of a gluten-free diet improves coeliac patients’ quality of life. These results suggest that doctors should be made more aware of CD and its symptoms across all age groups.


1968 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-37
Author(s):  
Oscar Gish

The factors conditioning immigration to the United Kingdom are analyzed in this article with the view to understand British immigration policy. The volume and place of origin of immigrants, the attitudes held toward immigrants by the British people, the legal and administrative framework placed around immigration, the emigration of highly skilled people from the United Kingdom in more recent years, all these aspects—the author shows—have contributed to the formulation of past governmental decisions and are likely to determine the volume and quality of future British immigration.


1982 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 921-956
Author(s):  
Brian Chiplin ◽  
Mike Wright

The application of competition policy to nationalized industries (state enterprises) has been strengthened recently in the United Kingdom. Section 11(1) of the 1980 Competition Act broadened the Monopolies Commission oversight of state enterprises. In practice, the Commission will conduct an efficiency audit of each major nationalized industry every four years. The Commission will focus its review on the quality of services, manpower utilization and productivity, and pricing, distribution and purchasing methods of the state enterprise. These efficiency audits have been fairly well received. Their cost-effectiveness and the follow-through on the Commission's recommendations remain to be demonstrated.


Author(s):  
Bob Woods

This chapter documents the developments in Wales relating to a National Dementia Vision and Strategy. A new Strategy is to appear by December 2016. While activity and progress are evident in many areas, much remains to be done. Wales benefits from having an Older People’s Commissioner, a statutory voice for older people, including those living with dementia, and from its rich cultural, linguistic, and artistic heritage, with active third-sector organizations. Like many countries, Wales has had well-publicized scandals in relation to quality of care in hospitals and care homes, which have provided learning and impetus for development. Compared with other parts of the United Kingdom, dementia diagnosis rates in Wales appear low and are now the subject of government targets. The new Strategy will need to fully engage with people living with dementia in order to address these challenges, while building on the growing social movement of dementia-friendly communities.


Author(s):  
Ian McLoughlin

In the United Kingdom, major investments have been made in e-government in order to modernize government and improve the efficiency and quality of public services. It has been claimed that these changes herald a “new era of digital governance”. The management of the vast majority of public services in the United Kingdom takes place at local and regional levels and provision at this level has a key role in “joining-up services” through greater information sharing and multi-agency working. This chapter examines these developments with reference to a study of the procurement of a software system by a city council, an experiment in multi-agency working to provide services to children, and the introduction of a regional smart card. It is argued that if such innovations are to have outcomes consistent with the claims of the digital governance thesis, then the relationship between technological and organizational change will need to be re-thought.


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