Abstract

In March this year, we hild our seventh annual symposium entitiled: ‘Who decides on treatment: the patient versus the State’. Within the NHS, there are many levels at which treatment decisions are made. At one extreme, decisions involve individuals ate the popint of ‘delivery’ and so are taken during the consultation and involving the patient and prescribeer. At the other extreme, decisions are a national matter and taken by government. The symposium explored the changing environments of decision-making and the contrbution of those involved. Here we summarise the talks and incorporate ideas that arose in discussion.