Primary care trusts (PCTs) are struggling to deliver the demanding modernisation agenda set for them by ministers. In consequence, two new policy themes - stronger market incentives and the decentralisation of budgetary power - have been introduced to strengthen the commissioning role of PCTs. This discussion paper looks at how ...
As the government seeks to accelerate change in the NHS and make services more responsive to public demands, the argument for market discipline versus planned provision is being hotly debated: can a highly centralised system sit comfortably alongside a market-led approach?; can market forces provide an effective response to the ...