Medicine, Hybrids and Management in European Hospitals

Abstract

This paper examines the changing character of hospital doctors and management across Europe and explores the concept of professional ‘hybrids’. The relation between physicians and managers has undergone changes over recent decades, in the wake of the now well entrenched new public management reforms and newer governance arrangements. We are seeing in many countries what has been termed the ‘hybridisation’ of medical roles with doctors increasingly taking on managerial responsibilities (Dent, Kirkpatrick and Neogy 2012). This development, however, is one that is variegated as between countries. In this paper we examine the cases of Denmark, Germany, France and England and explore some of the reasons for the similarities and differences. The paper draws largely on research collected within the European COST Medicine in Management (IS0903) network.