Organisations and Performance

Theme leader: Dr Shelley Farrar

This theme focuses on the financial and non-financial incentives and constraints that influence the behaviour of the NHS organisations.  Improving the performance of the NHS is a continuing objective of healthcare system reforms. The main challenges are in the measurement and monitoring of performance and how best to influence performance improvement. Target setting, financial incentives and organisational change are all methods used in the NHS to improve organisational performance. 

The aim of the theme is to improve the evidence-base that informs policy.  This is done through research that increases understanding of the behaviour and performance of organisations in health care systems. The specific objectives of this theme are to:

• Examine the role of financial and non-financial incentives and constraints on the behaviour of NHS organisations.
• Contribute to the evidence-base available to policy makers concerned to improve the delivery of health care.

Analysis focuses upon major government policies that are implemented in an attempt to change the behaviour of health care providers within the NHS.  Research in this theme encompasses an evaluation of the tariff-based payment system for hospitals in England (Payment by Results), an evaluation of Managed Clinical Networks, assessing the impact of extrinsic motivation (typically provided through financial incentives) on intrinsic motivation, and an investigation of patient prioritisation.