The Hanly group engaged in an exhaustive process of consultation prior to writing the report. It met with approximately 600 people in both pilot areas, including consultants, junior doctors, nursing staff and other health care professionals. There were about 300 meetings. Whatever one's views of the exercise, it was detailed. It looked at the issue from a green field perspective in the sense of examining the best way to organise health services in the future for a population of 350,000. The question of what was the best and safest service for the patient is what ultimately motivated the conclusions of the Hanly group and it is the reason the Government has accepted and endorsed the group's conclusions and recommendations.