Strategic health authority
Strategic Health Authority[edit | edit source]
A Strategic Health Authority (SHA) was a part of the National Health Service (NHS) in England between 2002 and 2013. SHAs were the intermediary bodies between the Department of Health and the NHS, and were responsible for enacting the directives and implementing fiscal policy at a local level.
History[edit | edit source]
The Strategic Health Authorities were established in 2002 under the NHS Plan to manage local NHS services. Originally, there were 28 SHAs, but this number was reduced to 10 in 2006. The SHAs were abolished in 2013 as part of the Health and Social Care Act reforms, with their responsibilities transferred to other organisations such as Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS England.
Role and Responsibilities[edit | edit source]
The main role of a Strategic Health Authority was to monitor the performance of NHS trusts within its area, ensuring they provided high-quality, efficient healthcare services. This included overseeing the performance of NHS hospital trusts, NHS foundation trusts, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), and ambulance services trusts.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Each Strategic Health Authority was led by a board, which included a chair, a chief executive, and a number of non-executive and executive directors. The board was responsible for setting the strategic direction of the SHA and for ensuring that it met its statutory responsibilities and performance targets.
Criticism and Abolition[edit | edit source]
The Strategic Health Authorities faced criticism for their perceived lack of accountability and transparency. Critics argued that they were an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy within the NHS. The decision to abolish the SHAs was part of a wider reform of the NHS under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, aimed at reducing bureaucracy and improving patient care.
See Also[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
