Restructuring. 1. Setting the framework--restructuring the organisation

The NHS has undergone several major overhauls since it was set up in 1948. This series of five articles examines some of the current fashions in organisational restructuring--from process re-engineering and patient-focused care to GP fundholding--and analyses some of their longer-term consequences from the perspective of professional training and development. Finally, we consider what the shape of the NHS might look like in the late 1990s.