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This paper traces the emergence of the theme of generational justice in aged care policy in Australia and the United Kingdom. Debate about the balance to be struck between inter- and intragenerational funding in the two countries took somewhat different courses before and after the crossover in the political persuasion of national governments that occurred in 1996–1997, but both continue to grapple with the question as to whether housing assets of the elderly are a resource for private, intergenerational transfers, or a source of intragenerational funding for aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The objective of this research is to appraise current practice in hospitals against the ‘Framework to achieve value in healthcare’ (the Framework) and to identify additional contributory factors that support or hinder its application. Methods. A multi-site case study was undertaken with five hospitals in Australia, the USA and UK using purposeful sampling to identify hospitals to participate. Data collection took place between September and November 2022. The hospitals included in the study had Process Improvement (PI) programs of more than 5 years duration, with strong executive engagement and broad outcomes measurement, including financial benefits. All hospitals were acute public hospitals or private, not for profit. Results. All hospitals indicated current practice according to Steps 1–5 for some part of their PI programs. All hospitals indicated that they were more likely to include financial benefits measurement for activities aimed specifically at improving cost rather than reducing non-value adding activities or improving the value of clinical care. Step 5 (reinvestment of cost savings) of the Framework is dependent on the accomplishment of Step 4 (measurement and realisation of financial benefits) and the contributory elements are important in supporting hospitals to utilise the Framework. Conclusions. The ‘Framework to achieve value in healthcare’ provides a practical guide for hospitals to reduce non-value adding activities, improve the value of clinical care and reduce costs. Further research is indicated to establish its reliability in hospitals in other countries and hospitals that do not have an established PI program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of men's health has grown markedly over the past few decades. Increased activity specifically relating to men's health promotion in both Australia and the UK has been noted during this period. There has, however, been a reticence to critically examine men's health promotion work within a broader discourse relating to gender and gender relations. Indeed, the vast majority of health-related gender discussion to date has been focused on women's health experiences and their health practices. In this paper, we argue that grounding men's health within this broad gender discourse is important for building an evidence base in, and advancing, men's health promotion work at a range of levels. We specifically explore the research, practice and policy contexts relating to men's health in Australia and the UK, and describe the facilitators for, and barriers to, promoting men's health. We conclude by suggesting that a critical gender lens ought to be applied to current men's health promotion work and provide strategies for researchers, practitioners and policy makers to move towards this new frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of this conceptual article was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel to the United States, Ireland, and United Kingdom to meet with researchers, practitioners, and community agencies and review how support for people with intellectual disability is provided. A specific focus was upon provision of care for individuals who were either ageing or requiring palliative care. The project took place from June to August 2013 and involved face-to-face interviews and site visits with key academics, government representatives, and community providers in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, and Stoke-on-Trent. A priority was placed upon examining how the key features of leading practice models could be implemented within the Australian environment featuring a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). On the basis of the observations of practice, key points are discussed regarding the potential for improvements to the support of people with intellectual disability within the Australian context of the NDIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the view that the slowness and inconsistency of medical care reform in virtually all countries reflect many factors. In no country are people particularly happy with their health-care system. In a survey of people in several countries, researcher Karen Donelan and his colleagues asked respondents to react to the statement: "On the whole, the health system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it work better." In the United States, only 17 percent of people agree with the statement; 83 percent perceive the need for "fundamental change" or "complete rebuilding." In Canada only 20 percent of people agree with the statement. In Great Britain, with spending as a share of Gross Domestic Productivity at half the U.S. level and overall health insurance just as good, only 25 percent agree with the statement. In Australia and New Zealand, support is 19 percent and 9 percent respectively. In most developed countries, universal insurance coverage was designed to guarantee equal access to medical care for all. Solidarity in health care dictated no rationing by price. The classic tradeoff in economics is between equity and efficiency, and this shows up in medical care.