 One of the most ambitious and controversial aspects of the Fourth National Government's programme was the comprehensive overhaul of the public health system.The system of democratically elected Area Health Boards was abolished and replaced with Crown Health Enterprises (CHEs), run according to the prevailing new public management ethos that created an internal market for the provision of hospital services and required the CHEs to make a profit.The degree of corporatisation of hospital services was scaled back after the 1996 election.