SPOL40470

This course is designed for students who want to explore various themes in health care systems and policy reforms, from historical, economic, political and sociological perspectives. Taking a comparative approach, with a particular focus on industrial advanced economies, it aims to introduce the students to the workings of the health care systems in different societies, while providing a strong background in the analytical frameworks of comparative social policy.

Are healthcare systems in crisis or at a crossroads? Healthcare systems often share the fundamental collective values and solidarity upon which the welfare state was constructed in the post-World War Two era. The recent global pandemic shook the foundation of many countries’ care systems and has strained them across the world. In times of economic downturn in ageing societies, reforming healthcare systems is considered simply inevitable. Therefore, the balance between equal access to healthcare services and ensuring a high quality of care is under great strain. Throughout our module, we will be asking ourselves the question – how crises will reshape the future of our healthcare systems.