October 1996
The government set out proposals to give primary care professionals greater flexibility to try different forms of contracting models.
May 1997
The new Secretary of State for Health, Frank Dobson, confirmed the Labour party's manifesto commitment to abolish the internal market.
Leglisation facilitated the piloting of different types of primary care contracting arrangements and established mechanisms for the direct employment of GPs.
8 December 1997
The new Labour government set out its intentions for NHS reform and announced programmes to improve public health.
1998
The passage of three Acts of Parliament established devolved legislatures in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
April 1998
The Department of Health commissioned an evaluation of 40 GP commissioning pilots to test new approaches to primary care-led commissioning.
1 July 1998
The government set out, and invited comments on, their plans for re-organisation of the NHS to tackle quality variation.
December 1998
As part of the comprehensive spending review, the government set new targets to reduce NHS waiting lists and reduce health inequalities.
March 1999
The NHS performance assessment framework (PAF) aimed to deliver a broader view of performance in the NHS.
