Essential skills for purchasing — The views of directors of public health andhealth authority chief executives

Since the NHS reforms, health authorities have been purchasing health care and have been advised that publichealth considerations must inform all NHS activities, and that the Director of Public Health must be supported by a team of qualified support staff. This survey of directors of public health and health authority chief executives in England shows the skills currently available to support health authority purchasing, and the perceived importance of this wide range of skills to the purchasing process. Future models of purchasing will need to ensure access by purchasers to public health and multi-disciplinary advice.