The changing health service

The shake-up will pave the way for the NHS in the 21st Century.

The government's NHS shake-up in England comes into force on 1 April.

The changes have been dubbed the most radical in the history of the health service - and have certainly proved controversial.

At one point, the overhaul threatened to tear apart the coalition and ministers had to take the unprecedented step of halting the progression of legislation through parliament after criticism from MPs and health unions.

The bill underpinning the changes gained Royal Assent in March 2012 and after a year of planning the changes are finally taking place.

Why does the government want to make changes in the first place?

So what is changing?

What about competition?

Don't councils have a key role?

What difference will patients notice?