How are health and wellbeing boards shaping up to their new responsibilities?

As implementation of the government’s controversial health reforms draws near, health and wellbeing boards seem to have the ‘X-factor’ – they are one of the few features of the new system that have attracted growing popularity during the passing of time and legislation. In our survey of a sample of boards last year we found widespread optimism about their prospects, tinged with a hint of nervousness that top-down national imperatives might override locally agreed priorities.