Re-visiting the concept of voice: expression of grievances across the English and Welsh National Health Service

This article re-examines the notion of voice in law and society scholarship which has focused on journeys to complaints and claims. Using the English National Health Service as a case study, it argues that looking at the articulation of grievances through a large number of channels across a large se...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mulcahy, L
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2024
Description
Summary:This article re-examines the notion of voice in law and society scholarship which has focused on journeys to complaints and claims. Using the English National Health Service as a case study, it argues that looking at the articulation of grievances through a large number of channels across a large service sector offers new opportunities to examine a range of different political logics underpinning voicing mechanisms. Two key arguments emerge. Firstly, it becomes clear that expressions of dissatisfaction can be collected for a variety of purposes other than dispute resolution or conflict management. Formal grievance procedures, rendered legitimate by concepts of rights and due process, not only interact with but compete with other ways of serving the collective good. The second key finding is that when looked at in isolation, the concept of voice can usefully be studied as a discrete concept rather than just a vital component of claiming.