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Drawing on a detailed case study of Scotland's National Health Service, this book argues that debates about citizen participation in health systems are disproportionately dominated by techniques of invited participation. A 'system's-eye' perspective, while often well-intentioned, has blinded us to other standpoints for understanding the complex relationship between publics and their health systems.

Publics and Their Health Systems takes a 'citizen's-eye' perspective, exploring not only conventional invited participation, but also the realms of representative democracy, contentious protest politics, and the micro-level tactics used by individual citizens in their encounters with health services. The book highlights more oppositional dynamics than those which characterise much invited participation, and argues that understanding these is a crucial step towards a more inclusive and democratic health system.

Publics and Their Health Systems: Rethinking Participation

1. Introducing Citizen Participation in Health Systems
2. Scotland's NHS: Citizen Participation and Mutuality in Scottish Health Policy
3. Administering the System: Citizen Participation as Committee Work
4. Extending the System: Citizen Participation as Outreach
5. Electing the System: Citizen Participation as Representative Democracy
6. Fighting the System: Citizen Participation as Protest
7. Playing the System: Citizen Participation as Subversive Service Use
8. Conclusion: Publics, Participation and Health Systems