For 20 years, British governments of both the left and right have tried to improve the management of the NHS. But the distinctive contribution of the Thatcher governments of the 1980s has defined this very much in terms of controlling health professionals: doctors, nurses and others. This volume offers an explanation of why this approach was adopted. It examines in detail the various methods of control employed and assesses the consequences for the future of professional work and organization in the NHS.

The book should be interest to a wide range of health professionals including doctors, nurses, health authority members and managers and should also be useful for students of social policy and health studies.

"...it can be recommended to all health professionals and students of social policy." - The International Journal of Social Psychiatry "...this is an extremely clear and well-organised discussion: it is concise and measured, linking contemporary debates about policy with important arguments about managerialism and professionalism...an excellent commentary on some of the most important developments which have occurred in NHS management-professional relationships in the last decade. It will be extremely useful for teaching and also as an orientation for sociologists (and others) working outside medical sociology or health service studies who want to gain valuable insights into the continuing struggle for control within the NHS." - Reviewing Sociology "There are several reasons why social scientists, particularly those of us in the United States, should avail themselves of this volume...it would be anexercise well worth taking to extend the plethora of insights and observations contained in this excellent volume." - Disabilities Studies QHY