ABSTRACT
This chapter reports that the evaluation of the Department of Health (DH) policy making style against a standard of best practice developed from the Modernising Government literature. It applies the standard against two examples of recent policy formulation the drafting of the Mental Health Bill and the reform of the generic medicines policy. A former Chief Economist at the DH, Clive Smee asserts that the quality of health policy making in England has improved as it has become more evidence based and rigorous and, although there is still much further to go, it has taken on more of the characteristics of a learning organisation. In mental health, a series of policy road-testing meetings were held to discuss the impact of specific provisions contained in the expected legislation and the Draft Mental Health Bill was put under pre-legislative scrutiny by a Committee of both Houses, thus allowing stakeholders to raise their concerns.
