ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Public sector governance

A city health authority is funded by central government, regulated by a national inspectorate, and used by local patients. Its chief executive reports performance to the central government department but rarely consults patient groups, even though patients are directly affected by service quality. Under Mendelow's power-interest matrix, how should patient groups with high interest but low power be treated, and what does the chief executive's approach imply?

Patient groups are high-interest, low-power stakeholders, so Mendelow's matrix says keep them informed. The chief executive's focus on central government alone implies weak accountability to service users, creating reputational and legitimacy risks if patients' concerns are ignored or they gain allies.

1. AKeep informed, since they are a high-interest, low-power group whose neglect risks reputational and legitimacy problemsCorrect
2. BManage closely, as they hold the highest power to block strategy
3. CMinimal effort, because low power means no need for communication
4. DKeep satisfied, since they control the authority's funding