Considerations at the national level

The national level of a health system provides broad support and guidance across the country, with the bulk of responsibility for doing so lying with national government (i.e. ministry of health). However, it is important to acknowledge other entities, including private sector actors, that also provide services, care and support on a national scale, as well as other national bodies that may play key roles in quality assurance and governance. Many ministries of health recognize the importance of defining core values that address the health care needs of a country’s population. This defines the purpose and goals of health care systems and should align decision-making with the system’s operation, planning and delivery structures, governance mechanisms, and operational and administrative functions.

This section contains tools that support the following functions at the national level:

These broad national functions are typically the responsibility of the ministry of health or of parallel governing bodies that provide support. Whether through guidelines, accreditation, monitoring or licensing, the various responsibilities are reflected among nationally recognized entities that help support these functions, and that ultimately determine the quality of health services at the point of care. Related tools include those providing guidance for supporting policy development, technical guidance supporting improvement in quality of specific services or care settings, tools to help implement improvement interventions as well as those outlining approaches to monitor quality of health service nationally.