Partnership Working in Public Health: Evidence for Public Health Practice

The United Kingdom’s reforms of the National Health Service and public health system now require a strong focus on partnerships, a move that has largely been met with praise. But a growing body of evidence shows that such partnerships are in fact very difficult to achieve and make effective. This book draws on a detailed study of recent public health partnerships in England—most of which have been made under the new Health and Wellbeing Boards—to assess their effectiveness. Ultimately, the authors argue that the current forms of partnership must be drastically rethought if they are going to succeed.