Harrington B, McLoughlin K, Riddell DNew Technology, Work & Employment, (UK), Mar 98 (13/1)
Start page: 43 No of pages: 8.
Studies the use of business process re-engineering (BPR) at the Contribution Agency, an agency set up by the UK Government’s Department of Social Security to change the way that work was handled in the agency and to promote empowerment and commitment . 

First the Government announced that local councils might be awarded ‘beacon’ status for excellent performance - now the term has moved into the health service.The NHS is to invest ten million pounds a year into identifying and promoting a hundred beacon local health services to reward and spread best practice in the NHS. The very best in each NHS region will gain annual national recognition through a new reward for excellence: the Nye Bevan Award. 

For the first time, health and social services have been set targets for working together to modernise frontline care for patients.Local health and social services have been set the task of tackling the same set of priorities over the next three years.These are to cut waiting lists and times, modernise mental health and primary care services, reduce deaths from cancer and coronary heart disease and target the health of the worst off, and to improve the quality and safety of children s services and provide better rehabilitation services for elderly people.