Search results

Examines recent reforms of the UK′s National Health Service (NHS),
and explores the pressures for change in the pursuit of an efficient NHS
and the conflicts which this causes in an organization which was based
on the aim of equity. In particular, addresses the "false
revolutions" of managerial change introduced after the Griffiths
Report (1983) and the accounting changes introduced in the wake of the
Griffiths proposals. Evidence shows that these intended revolutions were
limited in impact. The result of these failures has been the
introduction of the "real revolution" – the internal
market in health care. This is a radical change in both the NHS
management arrangements and in service delivery, with the division of
the NHS into purchasers (health authorities and GP fund holders) and
providers (hospital and community services, whether provided by private,
voluntary or state‐owned facilities).

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the tension between social and commercial criteria and the importance of the nature of available information in influencing policymaking towards commercial or quasi-commercial activities such as transport undertakings. The importance of financial criteria as key indicators which influence railway policy is established by reference to significant landmarks in the corporate existence of British Rail. An underlying conflict between this information and the declared policies of successive governments is exposed. This reveals that, not only are policy-makers constrained by the difficulties of providing more appropriate information, but they are also the victims of their own reluctance to implement effectively policies which would actually improve existing sources of information.

"This book explores innovations in public management, including establishing a corporate vision, strategizing an organization and change management. Chapters provide a valuable frame of reference for the 21st century manager of public services by assessing the renewal of existing practices such as strategic costing, performance management, digitization and procurement and innovations in management practices including branding, lean management, resilience and risk management. The book suggests that, as the management of public services is imbued with financial, social, economic and political uncertainties, management needs to be flexible and responsive to new ideas and practices to fulfil its purpose. This book ultimately supports the reflective manager, those who think about their job and are open to new ideas on how their job can be done better, by revisiting existing practices and examining innovations in public management. Enriched with real-life cases and thought-provoking discussion questions, this is the ideal textbook for reflective, open-minded advanced students of public management and actual, or aspiring, reflective managers in public services"--