International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

From Transaction to Transformation: Building Trust in Health Systems; A Response to Recent Commentaries

Document Type : Correspondence

Authors
Martin McKee 1
May CI van Schalkwyk 2
Rachel Greenley 1
Govin Permanand 3
1 Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
2 Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
3 Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, World Health Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
10.34172/ijhpm.9188
Keywords
Trust
Health Systems
Health

We are grateful to Reicher,1 Finegood and Yakimov,2 Gille and colleagues,3 and Peters4 for their valuable reflections on our paper.5 The role of trust in health systems is, as we all agree, a complex topic. Indeed both Gille6 and ourselves7 have written books on this important topic. ...(Read more...)

  1. Reicher SD. Principles and pragmatics for building trust in authority: Comment on "Placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025. doi:34172/ijhpm.8964
  2. Finegood DT, Yakimov C. Why Systems thinking is needed to center trust in health policy and systems: Comment on "Placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8706. doi:34172/ijhpm.8706
  3. Gille F, Daniore P, Zavattaro F. Bringing trust building to life within health policy-making: Comment on "Placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8662. doi:34172/ijhpm.8662
  4. Peters DH. Building trust and trustworthiness in public institutions: essential elements in placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems: Comment on "Placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8782. doi:34172/ijhpm.8782
  5. McKee M, Schalkwyk MCV, Greenley R, Permanand G. Placing trust at the heart of health policy and systems. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8410. doi:34172/ijhpm.2024.8410
  6. Gille F. What is Public Trust in the Health System? Insights into Health Data Use. London: Policy Press; 2023.
  7. McKee M, van Schalkwyk MCI, Greenley R, Permanand G. Trust: the foundation of health systems. Copenhagen: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2024.
  8. Turk E, Durrance-Bagale A, Han E, et al. International experiences with co-production and people centredness offer lessons for covid-19 responses. BMJ. 2021;372:m4752. doi:1136/bmj.m4752
  9. Geary U, McKee M, Petty-Saphon K. Mind the implementation gap: a systems analysis of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to increase the number of doctors trained in the UK raises many questions. Br Med Bull. 2024;150(1):1-10. doi:1093/bmb/ldae002
  10. Turnbull E, Priaulx J, de Kok I, et al. Results of a health systems approach to identify barriers to population-based cervical and colorectal cancer screening programmes in six European countries. Health Policy. 2018;122(11):1206-1211. doi:1016/j.healthpol.2018.08.005
  11. Checkland P. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Chichester: Wiley; 1981.
  12. Wismar M, McKee M, Ernst K, Srivastava D, Busse R. Health Targets in Europe. Copenhagen: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; 2008.
  13. Gugushvili A, Koltai J, Stuckler D, McKee M. Votes, populism, and pandemics. Int J Public Health. 2020;65(6):721-722. doi:1007/s00038-020-01450-y
  14. Pagel C, Buse K, McKee M. Evidence abandoned: Trump's cabinet and the fallout for science. BMJ. 2024;387:q2654. doi:1136/bmj.q2654
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 14, Issue 1
2025
Pages 1-2

  • Received Date 29 April 2025
  • Accepted Date 03 May 2025
  • First Published Date 07 May 2025
  • Published Date 01 December 2025