The Government determines national objectives for health services and offers guarantees on behalf of patients.
It provides a clear statutory and financial framework for NHSScotland and holds it to account for its performance.
The NHS is 60 years old on July 5, 2008.
A rolling programme of activities and events are being planned across NHSScotland at national and NHS Board level to celebrate and recognise past achievements and acknowledge how far healthcare has evolved over the last six decades.
www.60yearsofnhsscotland.co.uk
In the year of the 60th Anniversary of the NHS, the Scottish Health Awards will recognise and reward Scotland's most committed and caring NHS workers. There is a category for every NHS worker and the areas they work in. Information on the awards and how to nominate an individual or a team can be found at www.scottishhealthawards.com.
All nominations must be submitted by 5pm on Monday 8th September. The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 6th November at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh.
In early 2007, Ministers established the Prison Healthcare Advisory Board (PHAB) to explore the feasibility of transfer of the enhanced primary healthcare services in Scottish prisons from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to NHSScotland.
The Cabinet Secretaries for Health and Wellbeing and Justice have now accepted in principle the PHAB recommendations and have decided they would like to proceed with the transfer of primary healthcare services to NHS Boards.