The action plan for Better Health, Better Care is launched in December 2007.
Stronger public involvement is a key theme – improving patients’ experience, clearer patients’ rights and enhanced local democracy such as through direct elections to health boards. And independent scrutiny of proposals for major service changes.
It outlines a shift from viewing people as consumers – with only rights – but as owners with both rights and responsibilities. The overall strategic objective is to help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to healthcare.