Health service reform: the perceptions of medical specialists in Australia (New South Wales), the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of recent healthcare service changes (including significant resource constraint and a greater role for the non-medical manager) in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand on medical specialists' perceptions of their healthcare organisation goals and service delivery, and their enthusiasm for their work.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire survey, answered anonymously.


METHODS
Medical specialists employed either part- or full-time in two United Kingdom National Health Service Trusts (one acute, one mental health/community service), an Australian Area Health Service and a New Zealand Crown Health Enterprise in 1995.


METHODS
Participants' rating of their knowledge of employers' organisational goals, ability to influence management, perceptions of changes in resources and service availability since 1990 and changes in enthusiasm for their work over the past four years.


RESULTS
369 of 521 eligible specialists responded (71%); by country-United Kingdom, 123/186 (66%); New Zealand, 123/160 (77%); Australia, 123/175 (70%). New Zealand specialists were less aware of their employers' organisational goals and had less congruence between these and their own personal goals than United Kingdom or Australian specialists (P < 0.05). Interest in influencing central management was similar in the three countries, but Australian specialists felt management was less likely to follow their advice compared with United Kingdom specialists (P < 0.05). New Zealand specialists perceived that waiting times for non-urgent patients were currently longer than in 1990 compared to United Kingdom specialists (P = 0.02). In all three countries, inpatient beds were perceived to be less available than in 1990, but less so in New Zealand. The ease of replacing equipment was better in New Zealand than in Australia and the United Kingdom (P = 0.00001). More than 50% of participants in all three countries (183/361; 50.7%) reported that their enthusiasm for their work had decreased in the past four years.


CONCLUSIONS
The effects of health service reforms seem to have reduced enthusiasm for work among medical specialists in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Perkins
R J
RJ
University of Auckland, New Zealand. r.perkins@auckland.ac.nz
Petrie
K J
KJ
Alley
P G
PG
Barnes
P C
PC
Fisher
M M
MM
Hatfield
P J
PJ
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009517:New South Wales; D009520:New Zealand; D013038:Specialization; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom