CUTTING THE MUSTARD AND CRES

Argues that there is a risk of alienating members of the new boards of the trusts in the reformed NHS, who are initially in sympathy with the ideas of reform but who, often successful in their own professions,expect to control the environment in which they operate. The increasing move towards centralist control works against the political rhetoric of decentralization and consumerism. This is exemplified in the cash releasing efficiency savings (CRES) mechanism.