title: Primary care trusts. Ready, steady, stop.
abstract: A survey of primary care groups and trusts in South West region found most felt they had little autonomy. Most were level-2 PCGs, taking responsibility for managing a budget for commissioning services. About a third were still relying heavily on their health authority for commissioning. The results suggest that the proposal to allocate 75 per cent of NHS funds to PCTs by 2004 will be unrealistic in some areas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Healthcare, Bristol University.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Le Grand
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002017:Budgets; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003284:Contract Services; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006123:Group Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom