This paper argues that the means by which the profession of medicine has to legitimise itself in the context of state‐provided health services is changing in a way that may be summarised in Weberian terms as a shift from substantive to formal rationality. The traditional model for such...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of contracts on general practise in the UK National Health Service. In particular, it is concerned with the response of practitioners to the apparent flexibilities offered in the new contract with its focus on outcomes rather than...