ABSTRACT
One of the proposals of the government's White Papers (Secretary of State for Health, 1997; Secretary of State for Scotland, 1997; Secretary of State for Wales, 1998) is the establishment of a National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which will seek to promote high quality national guidelines for treatment, based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence. The proposal to establish such a body is part of the government's commitment to improve quality in all aspects of health care. However, while such intentions are warmly welcomed, the issue of funding health care services remains a contentious issue.
