From 1989 to 1991 the sector was led by an Area Health Board (AHB), which was made up of 14 regional health authorities. These were centrally funded, geographically based organisations, guided by elected boards. The system remained throughout two changes of government, with only minor changes being made to the system. During this time sector support for the system was strong, due to the inclusive nature during ts development. However, problems arose as subsidies for primary care were rising, as were patient co-payments. Decision making systems often broke down, as the interests of board representatives were often overly influential (Gauld 2003; Ashton 2002).