Information for Managing Healthcare Resources.(Book Review)

Authors: Sheila Bullas and Dallas Arlotti Publisher: Radcliffe Medical Press No of pages: 200 Price: 19.95 [pounds sterling] ISBN: 1857754743

This paperback is the sixth part of a series entitled Harnessing Health Information. The book is well laid out, with up-to-date references (not just printed literature, of course, but also internet and web-based sources) and boxed summaries of the key points covered at the end of each chapter.

Within the covers there is a wealth of information about the NHS, and it is full of facts and figures. NHS resource-related data are presented in a readable and interesting way:

* Background data to the current financial allocations

* Current details of policy documents and manuals guiding procurement decisions

* The history of `efficiency improvement targets'

* A business case in checklist form is in one of the appendices.

Workforce Planning and the importance of developing recruitment strategies and plans are explored in the book, and `managing processes and change' are covered with reference to how complaints reviews and redesign of systems relate to improving healthcare systems. The authors constantly illustrate how the use of information is needed to help make management decisions, and monitor progress.

Real (anonymised) examples are also provided of the NHS in action, for example, an estates strategy--these combine to make this book practically relevant not just a remote, academic textbook. A plea is made constantly that we must look at and use information as managers (we do too little of this, despite the fact that we have more data than we can handle). The book ends by saying that there is a skill deficit within the NHS as regards analysing statistical, and we should do something about this. I agree with the authors.

Although the book is quite pricey, at almost 20 [pounds sterling], I think it is excellent value for money, both as a complete read, and as a reference book--for a range of health service workers who want to know about managing in all its complexities. I particularly recommend it for NHS managers as they may pick up some tips on how to become `evidence-based' in their approach.

I have two small criticisms. Firstly, the policy documents cited tend to be from `south of the border'. Examples illustrating implementation across the whole of the UK would make the appeal of the book even wider. Secondly, the book tends to have a bias towards management within hospital settings.

I hope that revised versions of this book, in future, will contain more community references and focus on primary care and social care arrangements. The latter, are being faced increasingly by the health service and make `managing healthcare resource within the NHS even more difficult and problematic.

Dr Linda Pollock, Lothian Primary Care Trust, UK