The point of Academic Health Science Centres

I have finally figured out the point of Academic Health Science Centres.  It is to create more jobs for the boys (and, more rarely, girls).

As I have commented before, the NHS goes through cycles of structural change.  During these structural changes the top jobs tend to vary according to the point in the cycle.  In the current point, where organisations are being merged, senior jobs clearly drop.

So what does a bureaucracy do when its jobs are threatened?  Find alternative locations to house its own.  And these are the Academic Health Science Centres.

As we know these AHSCs do very little, but they all seem to have a full board and senior leadership team.  For instance, Cambridge has 4 executive, and 12 non-executive members.  Manchester has a lot too - though it is a bit confusing as to what they do.

Now, once you have a board who does very little, and has done very little, what is the next step?  Order a review to help understand what you should do with this pretty organisation which does jack.  And all the better if the review is done by another member of the great and the good, with consulting support by articulate, intelligent, dim-wits.  So Imperial has appointed Ara Darzi; and King's - William McKee; UCL has appointed Edward Lavelle

Militant Manager's view is that if after so little time of such a heralded process, you have to do a review about where to go, the whole enterprise is of questionable value.

But I am not sure about that; I wonder if Lord Turner is available to do a review of that conclusion?