Does clinical management improve efficiency? Evidence from the English National Health Service

The paper investigates the presence and impact of clinicians on the boards of National Health Service (NHS) acute care trusts on efficiency over a three-year period (2006–2009). The analysis shows an increase, albeit marginal, in the number of clinically qualified directors in the period under investigation. Furthermore, it reveals that the percentage of clinicians—and, more specifically, doctors—at the board level is positively associated to the rating achieved for the financial management of resources. Although the results need to be treated cautiously, they do lend support to the argument that increased clinical involvement in management decision-making will have benefits for the performance of hospital services.