The decline (and fall?) of professional influence in the NHS: The coming of professional management

Abstract

During the 1980s, governments in the UK introduced major changes in the way the NHS was run. This paper concentrates on one of these, 'general management', It summarises the background, introduction and characteristics of 'general management' as well as some of the criticisms of the ways in which it was seen to threaten professional and public service values.

Key Words:

• Grifiths I
• ‘New Public Management’ (NPM)
• organisational change
• professions