Description:
 To share or not to share The growth of shared financial services in the health sector is based largely on the prospect of greater efficiency and significant cost savings but, for some, the financial benefits are unproven and come with significant compromises. South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust (SWYMHT) is one such organisation which opted in and then out of one of the national shared service pilot schemes in favour of independence. "We found that the ‘one size fits all’ approach of a large shared service meant too many compromises" said Malcolm Featherstone, SWYMHT’s director of finance. "We found the service didn't suit our requirements in a number of key areas and, because of its size, it was unable to respond quickly to our particular priorities and needs. Although we had much in common with our sister NHS organisations, we found that we didn't all do things the same way and I am sceptical of the idea that there is a single 'best practice' we could all follow." Download the case study
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