Publisher's Synopsis
A series of articles published in the BMJ in the run up to the enforcement of the government's new legislation which came into force on 1 April 1993. This entails a gradual transfer of responsibility for care of the elderly, disabled and mentally ill to the local authorities, with fundholding GPs purchasing the care. The book covers three aspects of the changes - government policy local practice (the examples used are Gwent, Bassetlaw, Northern Ireland and Newcastle) and the views of interested parties: a GP, one of the new "contract managers", a Scottish psychiatrist, a disabled project leader, a user of the mental health services and the chairperson of the Relatives Association. It is intended to inform GPs and hospital doctors, who will be referring and assessing patients of the reforms and potential problems in a down to earth way. There is an introduction by Sir Roy Griffiths who had the original ideas.
