Health Manpower Management

Mark Hackett; Peter Spurgeon

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113309pmid: 10157837

The development of NHS trusts has been a major part of the NHS reforms in the United Kingdom. The creation of trust boards has coincided with significant pressures from the combined forces for change and consolidation within publicly financed health care in the UK. The development of a long‐term strategic vision for trusts to ensure long‐term survival is imperative. Considers evidence from international researchers and translates this into the context of NHS trusts. Discusses how they define and identify vision and ensure that vision building can be communicated and understood by key stakeholders within and outside the organization. Offers several practical suggestions on how their vision can be monitored and evaluated within the organization.

Stephen Oliver; James J.H. Harrison

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113327pmid: 10157833

Uses the Business Development Consultancy as a case study to demonstrate how a training and development function responded to the working for patient reforms in the NHS. Offers an example of how change can be managed effectively when moving from a bureaucratic to enterprise culture. Emphasizes dealing with the human side (including the casualties of the change) and obtaining ownership of the change and focuses on how the mind set needs to shift. Highlights that change is more than implementation of a new organizational structure or set of rules. Reinforces that change is continuous and requires continual monitoring and review. Ends by stating that change from bureaucracy to enterprise may be difficult but can be achieved successfully.

Patrick Asubonteng; Renee Middleton; George Munchus

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113336pmid: 10157834

Provides a review and analysis of the ambulatory patient groups classification system. Discusses a review of the history, development and implementation process. Concludes that in the ongoing efforts to move towards full‐managed care in the not‐so‐distant future, ambulatory patients groups are another potential cost‐cutting remedy for current health care providers and that future research into this issue is a must for public policy makers.

Barron Wells; Nelda Spinks

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113345pmid: 10157835

Examines ethics in the health care industry from the perspectives of investors, employees, patients, competitors and the environment. Ethical behaviour in the health care industry is essential and desirable; however, determining which behavioural actions are ethical and which are unethical is difficult. Although never will everyone agree on specific ethical standards, everyone should agree that setting ethical standards is vital. Therefore, administrators of health care institutions and health care providers should work together to establish codes of ethics which define boundaries for ethical behaviours in the health care industry.

Maggie Havergal

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113354pmid: 10157836

Examines the extent of absenteeism and the associated costs. Considers recent guidance on indicators of absence rates and notes the difficulties in reaching a common interpretation of the advice given. Outlines the challenge in devising feedback to local managers which enables local interpretation. Recommends training for first‐line managers.

Karin Newman; Tanya Pyne; Alan Cowling

1996 Health Manpower Management

doi: 10.1108/09552069610113363pmid: 10161332

Uses an empirical investigation based on a survey of junior doctors in five NHS trust hospitals, to examine their attitudes towards both the general principle of clinical involvement in hospital management and the particular prospect of exercising such a role themselves. Finds that junior doctors, with few exceptions and irrespective of grade, were very positive towards clinical management roles in NHS trusts and were almost universally keen to assume management responsibilities when they were more senior. At the same time, finds junior doctors to have little concept of the doctor‐ manager role or the recognized and demanded specific preparation for assuming management responsibilities.