<title/> This article examines the contribution of Professional Executive Committees (PECs) to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). It looks at the balance of clinical and corporate discussions in PEC meetings, and how their contribution and functions are perceived by PEC members and other PCT personnel.

Contemporary health research is becoming increasingly formalised, regulated and institutionalised. In the UK, this has manifested itself in the development of a framework for 'governing' health research. The framework is often presented as a neutral decision-making tool guiding elements of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the variety of mechanisms applied since 1991 to engage English and Welsh general practitioners (GPs) in local health services planning and implementation. Design/methodology/approach – Three qualitative case studies. Findings – The paper...