The Organisation of the Board’s Work

Abstract

This chapter explains how the Leeds Regional Hospital Board went about organising its work. The chapter begins with a brief description of the Leeds Region, and then discusses how Board members were appointed. Particular attention is given to the turnover of members and their role. This is followed by an account of the relationship between the Board’s officers. The next section examines the Board’s committee system and the respective role of members and officers. Then an account is given of the way in which hospitals in the Region were organised into groups run by hospital management committees. Finally, the Board’s reaction to the debate on health service reorganisation is discussed. Overall, the chapter provides a context for the more detailed analyses which follow. It also contains data relevant to a number of issues of recurring interest in the NHS, including consensus management, the role of members, and the nature and pace of administrative change.