BMJ 1995;311:703-704 (16 September)

Editorials

Short termism in the NHS

The national malady needs urgent treatment

In The State We're In Will Hutton catalogues the corrosive effects on British industry and services of putting short term gain before long term development.1 Drawing on evidence from more successful economies, he argues persuasively for cheaper, more stable financing for businesses and strong long term collaboration between companies and their stakeholders (such as subcontractors, financiers, and staff). Although such work is informing the debate on the future of corporate governance in British industry, does it also have lessons for the health service?

Observers of the NHS will recognise many of the problems that Hutton identified in British industry, which is unsurprising as health care systems usually reflect wider social values. These include short termism and crisis intervention, a failure to develop sustained collaborative relationships between participants in the market, and a lack of involvement in decision making by key stakeholders. Examples of these . . . [Full text of this article]


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