Hospital clinicians and managers: Adversaries or partners?

Since the 1974 reorganisation of the British National Health Service, clinicians have continually voiced concern regarding the threat of encroachment on their clinical freedom by lay management, within the context of increasing financial stringency. The introduction of general management has reinforced these fears of interference by what is perceived by the medical profession to be vastly enhanced professional managerial power in relation to resource control in the sphere of direct patient care.