Premium
Using Information on Variation in Rates of Supply to Question Professional Discretion in Public Services
Author(s) -
Bevan Gwyn,
Hollinghurst Sandra,
Benton Peter,
Spark Vicky,
Sanderson Hugh,
Franklin Donald
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
financial accountability and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.661
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1468-0408
pISSN - 0267-4424
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0408.2004.00183.x
Subject(s) - discretion , principal (computer security) , bankruptcy , business , quality (philosophy) , variation (astronomy) , professional services , accounting , health care , public relations , actuarial science , political science , finance , law , computer science , computer security , philosophy , physics , epistemology , astrophysics
Governments face a formidable combination of principal/agent problems as third party payers for professional services. Health care is an exemplar of these difficulties. This paper develops the concept of discretionary services for acute hospitals from analysis of services with high variations in admission rates. It argues that this concept offers a way of challenging professional discretion and raising new kinds of questions over volumes and quality of services supplied. It illustrates the wider applicability of this concept with two examples: legal aid, and investigation of directors for fraud following bankruptcy.