ABSTRACT
The Government is determined that the services and treatment that patients receive across the National Health Service (NHS) should be based on the best evidence of what does and does not work and what provides best value for money. Strategy development becomes an interactive process of planning, taking leveraged actions and learning from success and failure. A NHS which offers people prompts high-quality treatment and cares when and where they need it. The new NHS Charter will tell people about the standards of treatment and care they can expect of the NHS. The NHS Executive is working with the profession to develop indicators to assess the effectiveness of care at national and health authority level. The Government will ensure there is accountability for both efficiency and quality throughout the NHS. High-quality care should be a right for every patient in the NHS.
