title: The "beds to the west" scheme: the politics and outcomes of the 1982 New South Wales hospital rationalisation programme.
abstract: Recent announcements by the NSW Government concerning the closure and relocation of hospital services are reminiscent of similar initiatives in 1982. It is timely that consideration be given to the impact and longer term effectiveness of the "beds to the west" scheme as the earlier redistribution programme became known. A review of the extent to which the programme's objectives were achieved together with a description of the principal management features of the decommissioning process provide significant lessons for today's policy makers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nolan
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006076:Government; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006274:Health Facility Moving; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011050:Policy Making