Negotiating and managing partnership in primary care

In the UK public service organisations are increasingly working together in new partnerships, networks and alliances, largely stimulated by government legislation, which aims to encourage 'joined-up' policy-making. This is pa rticularly prevalent in health-care where local government, health authorit ies and trusts, voluntary and community groups are extending existing, and developing new, forms of partnership, particularly around Health Improvemen t Programmes and new primary care organisations. This paper explores two ma in aspects of how these new interorganisational relationships are being dev eloped and managed and is based on research conducted in one case study loc ality. First, the new structures of partnership in primary care are mapped out, together with discussion on why these particular patterns of relations hip between statutory and voluntary sector organisations have emerged, expl oring both centrally and locally determined influences. Secondly, the paper explores the tensions associated with working within new policy-making and management structures, and how the additional demands of audit, performanc e measurement and the sheer pace of change, pose a potential threat to the partnership process.