In 1994 the Department of Health published its Health Strategy - "Shaping a Healthier Future". The main\ud
theme of the Health Strategy is the reorientation of health services so that improving peoples' health and quality\ud
of life becomes the primary and unifying focus. The Strategy reflects the commitment of Government to\ud
ensuring that health services should help first and foremost those people whose needs are greatest and this will\ud
be reflected in the way resources are allocated in the future. The Strategy recognises the importance of the\ud
pursuit of quality and lays emphasis on constantly measuring and evaluating quality through clinical audit and\ud
consumer surveys. The Strategy firmly places the consumer first and sets out proposals for improving the\ud
public's participation in the planning and evaluation of services. The Strategy sets out new arrangements for\ud
improved legal and financial accountability and includes a requirement on those providing services to take\ud
direct responsibility for the achievement of agreed objectives