title: Contracting through district health authorities.
abstract: Contracts are the glue of the new NHS, the vital tool linking the two main structures: health-care commissioning and health-care provision, carried out by GP fund holders and district health authorities (the purchasers) and the NHS trusts and others (the providers) respectively. Like all adhesives, contracts are of great benefit if used carefully, but if applied inappropriately or with an overly heavy hand they have the potential to become an obstructive mess.
authors.affiliation: East London and the City Health Authority, London, England.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panter
mesh_terms: D003284:Contract Services / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005376:Financial Management; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom