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Book Review: The NHS/Private Health Sector Interface

Book Review: The NHS/Private Health Sector Interface Health Services Management Research The NHS/Private Health Sector Interface: This is a book of short passages and lots of edited by Haydn Cook, Harlow: Longman, sub-headings. As such the text is easily acces­ 1990. 164pp. sible although it does mean that some topics receive very little space. For example 'under­ This is the third book in a new Longman Health funding' and its impact in the NHS is dealt with Service Management Series. In its 164 pages in one page. The second overall comment is that it offers 11 chapters which together encourage there are some chapters that offer a far more the reader to consider aspects of an NHS that substantial treatment of their chosen subject in the Editor's Foreword is described as having than others. It is not a book of consistent quality. 'become irreversibly commercial'. To specifics, the value of a book such as this The aspects of NHS activity considered is not in its aspirations to comprehensive cover­ include the specific: age. Clearly it cannot do this. Rather it lies in acquainting the reader with the state of current pay beds; competitive tendering and con­ thinking in areas where the speed of change is tracting out; the NHS estate. rapid. It can do this in two ways. Either it can They include concentrations on the NHS/ locate an argument firmly in the most current Private Sector Interface: relevant literature. Or it can attempt summa­ tion and agenda setting by presenting a more psychiatry and long term care; registration personal view. The chapter by Sheaff and and accreditation of nursing homes; the Schofield on 'Commercialisation, competition development of cross-sector collaboration in and quality in the NHS' is a good example of nurse education and training. the former. This is well presented, accessible Other chapters look more generally at: and as up to date as anything in books can be (given publishers' lead times). Bach on 'Com­ commercialisation, competition and quality petitive tendering and contracting out' is of the in the NHS; reform and human resources; same order although somewhat less detailed. the medical dimension (including medical Examples of the latter include the chapter by audit and waiting list initiatives). Neuman and Peel on budgeting and costing Another chapter aspires to a new view of and by Flintham on 'Reform and human budgeting and costing for health although .it resources' . only uses nine pages (including two of tables or This sort of different approach seems graphs) to do it. Finally there is an interna­ inevitable given the varied background of con­ tional dimension included via a consideration tributors. It produces a book that will be of of the Leningrad experiment where there have value to a wide range of potential readers. But been attempts to change public health service it will be best used alongside more critical stud­ management from within. Leningrad was ies on health service management. There is little graced with a discreet visit from Kenneth here that would lead a reader to realise that the Clarke during the preparation of Working for developing NHS/private health sector interface Patients we are told. generates controversy. The book's overall tech­ The book's contributors come from private nologism obscures while its constituent detail sector concerns, from the health service and informs. from academia. Two things can be said about the overall Neil Small impression of this book. The first is that there Bradford University has been a strongly imposed editorial style. Department of Applied Social Studies http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Health Services Management Research SAGE

Book Review: The NHS/Private Health Sector Interface

Small, Neil
Health Services Management Research , Volume 4 (2): 1 – Jul 1, 1991
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1991 SAGE Publications
ISSN
0951-4848
eISSN
1758-1044
DOI
10.1177/095148489100400210
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Health Services Management Research The NHS/Private Health Sector Interface: This is a book of short passages and lots of edited by Haydn Cook, Harlow: Longman, sub-headings. As such the text is easily acces­ 1990. 164pp. sible although it does mean that some topics receive very little space. For example 'under­ This is the third book in a new Longman Health funding' and its impact in the NHS is dealt with Service Management Series. In its 164 pages in one page. The second overall comment is that it offers 11 chapters which together encourage there are some chapters that offer a far more the reader to consider aspects of an NHS that substantial treatment of their chosen subject in the Editor's Foreword is described as having than others. It is not a book of consistent quality. 'become irreversibly commercial'. To specifics, the value of a book such as this The aspects of NHS activity considered is not in its aspirations to comprehensive cover­ include the specific: age. Clearly it cannot do this. Rather it lies in acquainting the reader with the state of current pay beds; competitive tendering and con­ thinking in areas where the speed of change is tracting out; the NHS estate. rapid. It can do this in two ways. Either it can They include concentrations on the NHS/ locate an argument firmly in the most current Private Sector Interface: relevant literature. Or it can attempt summa­ tion and agenda setting by presenting a more psychiatry and long term care; registration personal view. The chapter by Sheaff and and accreditation of nursing homes; the Schofield on 'Commercialisation, competition development of cross-sector collaboration in and quality in the NHS' is a good example of nurse education and training. the former. This is well presented, accessible Other chapters look more generally at: and as up to date as anything in books can be (given publishers' lead times). Bach on 'Com­ commercialisation, competition and quality petitive tendering and contracting out' is of the in the NHS; reform and human resources; same order although somewhat less detailed. the medical dimension (including medical Examples of the latter include the chapter by audit and waiting list initiatives). Neuman and Peel on budgeting and costing Another chapter aspires to a new view of and by Flintham on 'Reform and human budgeting and costing for health although .it resources' . only uses nine pages (including two of tables or This sort of different approach seems graphs) to do it. Finally there is an interna­ inevitable given the varied background of con­ tional dimension included via a consideration tributors. It produces a book that will be of of the Leningrad experiment where there have value to a wide range of potential readers. But been attempts to change public health service it will be best used alongside more critical stud­ management from within. Leningrad was ies on health service management. There is little graced with a discreet visit from Kenneth here that would lead a reader to realise that the Clarke during the preparation of Working for developing NHS/private health sector interface Patients we are told. generates controversy. The book's overall tech­ The book's contributors come from private nologism obscures while its constituent detail sector concerns, from the health service and informs. from academia. Two things can be said about the overall Neil Small impression of this book. The first is that there Bradford University has been a strongly imposed editorial style. Department of Applied Social Studies

Journal

Health Services Management Research – SAGE

Published: Jul 1, 1991

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