title: Primary care trusts. Barrier grief.
abstract: Primary care trusts that want to shift resources from hospitals will face many of the barriers that have frustrated others before them. Part of the difficulty lies in hospitals' fixed overhead costs, which cannot be saved if patients are transferred. Incentives in the system tend towards preserving the status quo. PCTs will have to make full use of the relationship between GPs and consultants to effect change.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom