ABSTRACT
This chapter describes organisations whose role is primarily strategic, determining the overall direction of the NHS in England, and overseeing and co-ordinating the work of other NHS organisations. Ultimate responsibility for the NHS lies with Parliament, through the Secretary of State for Health, whose Department of Health is in turn supported by various ‘arm’s length bodies’ – organisations which provide specifi c national functions on its behalf. At the regional level, implementing NHS strategy is the responsibility of Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
