Health and wellbeing boards differ in their levels of transparency, involvement and modes of operation

Health and Wellbeing Boards were introduced alongside the government’s structural reforms of the NHS, as new bodies aiming to bring together NHS commissioners, local government and others, and were expected to provide an important new forum for democratic input into the health service. Anna Coleman and Surindar Dhesi analyse the experience of Health and Wellbeing Boards so far, and find significant variations in practice, including in the inclusion of partner organisations, level of transparency and the role of elected councillors.