Annex A > Chapter 4 - National Accountabilities and Roles > The National Framework: responsibilities for healthcare > The influence of DoH policy on the Welsh Office
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The influence of DoH policy on the Welsh Office
29 Mr Gregory told the Inquiry that:
`... the Department [Welsh Office] ... would not have, I believe, regarded itself as completely fettered in its discretion ...' [35]
`The Department's [Welsh Office's] position ... would ... have been very significantly influenced by the Supra Regional Advisory Group's conclusions ...' [36]
31 In short, the evidence to the Inquiry was to the effect that, although the Welsh Office, in theory, had discretion to decide its own health policy for the people of Wales, this discretion was, in reality, influenced by the policy being pursued by the DoH in England. The influence of the DoH's policy on the Welsh Office was particularly strong in those specialisms that were part of the group of services which fell under the auspices of the DoH's Supra Regional Services Advisory Group (SRSAG).
32 Before focusing on evidence as to the respective responsibilities which the DoH and NHS took for the clinical care of any individual patient, one further matter should be mentioned. In 1992-1993 the NHSME relocated from London to Leeds. Although Sir Graham Hart told the Inquiry that this placed a strain on communications at least for a while, there was no clear evidence before the Inquiry that it adversely affected decision-making.
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