This paper discusses recent attempts by U.K. local authorities to create mutual insurance companies. We explore in general terms the background to mutuals (or pools) in the U.K. public sector. We consider two specific and recent cases in order to tease out the key issues: a rejected feasibility...

Objective: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of gemcitabine in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Gemcitabine was compared with best supportive care and gemcitabine/cisplatin was compared with three standard chemotherapies and four other novel chemotherapy...

<title/> Audit committees were perceived as overcoming the difficulties of operating in a political environment. In general, they achieved good ratings for monitoring internal audit but were seen as less effective in engaging with external auditors and risk management. In some key aspects the attitudes...

The authors have been observing the progress of a PFI project for the health service in Scotland. The case is significant for its being a modest scheme in contrast to some of the giant 25-year and £50M ventures receiving so much attention elsewhere. In addition, the scheme challenges some of...

<title/> Financial pressures facing UK universities have increased the demand for good financial management information. The government wants higher education institutions to adopt standardized full economic costing. This article describes an activity-based management (ABM) model which has been...

<title>Abstract</title> This research examines the experience of stakeholders of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The local authorities’ accounts of engaging stakeholders are compared against the stakeholders’ experience of being engaged. The findings suggest that the increasing procedures and tools...

<title/> Various bodies have recently discussed the apparent crisis facing the commercial insurance market and the underwriting of employers' liability insurance. As major employers who have traditionally used this market, local authorities would be expected to be heavily exposed to such a crisis....

The UK has had a long history of market provision of household insurance. Recent years, however, have seen a decline in the traditional insurance market distribution channels aimed at low-income and/or rented-sector households. The products, pricing and method of payment currently offered by...