The role of professional elites in healthcare governance: Exploring the work of the medical director

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Electronic versions

Documents

DOI

Medical leaders occupy a prominent position in healthcare policy in many countries, both in terms of the governance of quality and safety within healthcare organisations, and in broader system-wide governance. There is evidence that having doctors on hospital boards is associated with higher quality services. What is not known is how they have this effect. Analysing data collected from observations, interviews and documents from 15 healthcare providers in England (2014-2019), we elaborate the role of medical directors in healthcare governance as 'translation work', 'diplomatic work', and 'repair work'. Our study highlights the often enduring emotional effects of repeated structural changes to clinical services. It also contributes to theories of professional restratification, showing the work of medical directors as regional 'political elites', and as 'corporate elites' in publicly-funded healthcare systems.

Keywords

  • Delivery of Health Care, England, Health Policy, Hospitals, Humans, Physician Executives
Original languageEnglish
Article number113882
JournalSocial Science and Medicine
Volume277
Early online date26 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Total downloads

No data available
View graph of relations