Relationships in the Nhs: Bridging the Gap

The current emphasis on partnership, collaboration, joined up government and integrated service provision has put relationships firmly on the agenda for the NHS. The contribution of relationships to both health and the capacity to plan and provide healthcare has long been recognised, but often neglected or undermined. The contemporary NHS, as it changes from a traditional bureaucratic institution to a modern health care system, commits a great deal of time and energy to the structuring and restructuring of its relationships. The resulting concentration of public NHS resources into the hands of primary care professionals means that this group is becoming the pivotal point for virtually all relationships throughout the NHS and UK health care system. The nature of the relationships in the new NHS is in many cases ambiguous, and the commitment to them ambivalent. This book tackles many of the crucial issues facing the NHS from a relational perspective and focuses on what relational healthcare has to offer today's NHS. The findings are based on three years' research involving more than half of the districts in the NHS and make use of case material from over 50 local PCGs. The authors offer a radical appraisal of the new NHS policies and their implications for relationships. They provide a guide to harnessing the benefits of improved relationships for individual and public health. Relationships in the NHS is aimed at all professionals, clinicians and policy makers committed to improving partnerships in today's NHS. It is particularly recommended to GPs, other members of the general practice team, primary care groups/trusts, managers and academics.