Who Should We Treat? considers one of the most pressing issues in contemporary society. The National Health Service absorbs an ever-increasing share of national resources. Yet patients cannot be guaranteed access to treatment, and doctors and nurses often work under great stress. Why is this so and has the introduction of an internal market for health eased the problem?For the first time, this book puts these medical and economic questions into a legal framework. Should resources affect the standard of care patients should receive, or enable fund-holders' patients to receive treatment first? Ought patients who need extremely expensive medicines be entitled to them? What rights do elderly people have to NHS care? How are doctors and health service managers held accountable for their decisions? Who Should We Treat? is the first book to explain how the law balances the competing claims of patients, doctors, and managers to NHS resources.