Elections to Scottish NHS boards attract few voters and high costs
BMJ 2011; 342 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d1589 (Published 11 March 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;342:d1589- Bryan Christie
- 1Edinburgh
Fewer than one person in five turned out to vote in the first ever direct elections to NHS boards in Scotland, which have cost over £11 (€13; $18) per voter.
The combination of low turnout and high costs has been criticised by doctors’ leaders who say the £772 986 spent on the election would have been much better invested in direct patient care.
Legislation was passed in Scotland in 2009 to pilot direct elections to NHS boards to see if this would improve public participation and accountability in decision making. Voting took …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £173 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£38 / $45 / €42 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.