Have we forgotten the CARE in health care?

In determining the effectiveness and efficiency of health care provision, the primary focus is on costs with scant regard paid to so-called 'soft' issues such as care and quality. This means that the values of economists and the burgeoning 'health management industry' are in conflict with the values held by nurses which are focussed on quality patient care. In this article we look at the dominance of economic values and the impact on quality health care.