Health Access, Ethics, and Public Policy: Dutch and British Approaches

Quick Info

Program Overview

There are many ways in which government, nonprofits, and the media attempt to influence public health. During this seminar, we’ll explore this idea and look at British and Dutch society and culture through the prism of public health. In Britain, we’ll gain an understanding of the values and history that supports the National Health Service (NHS) and examine the challenges it faces, and study the role the media—including the country’s unique public service television industry—plays in public health initiatives. We’ll also touch on issues in British bioethics and consider whether or not the Olympic legacy is achieving its stated public health ambitions. In the Netherlands, we’ll look at the Dutch approach to norms and standards in today’s public healthcare system, touching on culturally sensitive issues, such as euthanasia, public insurance, and home birth, and examine global issues such as elderly care and children’s health.

Program Activities

While in London, participants will explore topics such as:

• Challenges facing the NHS.
• Whether the Olympic health legacy is a fallacy.
• What role media can play in public health.
• Current issues in British bioethics.

Participants will also visit sites such as The Wellcome Trust, a general practice office, and a hospital and will complete a walking tour of landmarks and “Parks in Progress” within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

While in Amsterdam, participants will explore topics such as:

• History of the Dutch public health system.
• Challenges and political pressure in today’s public health system.
• Primary and secondary care.
• Dutch policies and trends regarding home birth, euthanasia, and drugs.

Participants will also visit sites such as the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), an STI Outpatient Clinic, a general practitioner’s office, and the Museum Boerhaave for the History of Science and Medicine.

Program Objectives

During this seminar, participants will:

• Observe and explore how national healthcare systems operate in a European context.
• Gain insight into the realities of Olympic legacies.
• Develop a culturally contextualized understanding of the Dutch approach to norms and standards in public healthcare.
• Critically analyze and compare the British and Dutch approaches to healthcare provision, access, and public health promotion.

Seminar Locations

Based in London, England and Amsterdam, Netherlands; participants fly into London and out of Amsterdam.