Devolution and health policy in England

This article looks at the possible implications of English regional governm ent for the promotion and provision of healthcare. Elected assemblies may a llow more locally tailored policies aimed at reducing health inequalities, which vary substantially between regions. They may also increase the democr atic accountability of health services and help to `join-up' health and oth er policy domains. The obstacles to devolved control over health care inclu de the inherently One argument for health being a regional responsibility c entralized nature of health care provision in Britain and strong public sup port for a National Health Service. Given these potentials and constraints, this article attempts to identify those areas of health policy that feasib ly could be devolved to English regional assemblies.