Primary care trusts. The human touch

Research with six primary care trusts, started in 2001, suggests that many lack access to relevant expertise in human resources management. Where PCTs do have human resources directors, they are often being asked to act on strategic issues which are outside their experience. PCTs required to rely on acute trusts' HR departments for HR expertise find this unsatisfactory as the issues facing the two sectors are so different. The status of HR management in PCTs needs to be boosted.