Citizens at the centre – Deliberative participatio n in healthcare decisions Deliberative Participation in Healthcare Decisions

Involving citizens in policy decision-making processesdeliberative democracyhas been a central goal of the UK Labour government since it came to power in 1997. But what happens when members of the public are drawn into unfamiliar debate, with unfamiliar others, in the unfamiliar world of policy making at the national level? This book sets out to understand the contribution that citizens can realistically be expected to make. The book draws on lessons from an ethnographic study of a public involvement initiative in the health servicethe Citizens Council of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence). Citizens at the Centre explores the practical realities behind the much-quoted faith in 'deliberation' that underpins so many models of public involvement. It presents the analysis of sixty four hours of video and audiotape capturing a warts-and-all picture of deliberation in action. The book also sets deliberative participatory initiatives within a broad inter-disciplinary context