NHS South of England website launched

NHS South of England, which comprises South Central, South East Coast and South West Strategic Health Authorities, has launched its website www.southofengland.nhs.uk

NHS South of England is one of four strategic health authority (SHA) clusters across England, which formed on 3 October 2011. The others are NHS North of England, NHS Midlands and East and NHS London.

The website has a variety of useful and interesting information about the local NHS, how health services will be commissioned in the future, regional campaigns and consultations and all the latest health news.

NHS South of England stretches from Penzance to Margate, serving a population of 13.4 million people. It has a budget of £21.1 billion and within the region there are 110 NHS organisations, 1,873 GP practices and 34 local authorities.

One of the key roles for NHS South of England in 2012/13 is to prepare the NHS for the changes set out in the Government’s Health and Social Care Act. SHAs and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) will no longer exist from 1 April 2013 and local Clinical Commissioning Groups, made up of GPs, hospital doctors, nurses and other specialists, will take charge of commissioning health services for their local population.

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Notes to Editor

1. Links to the previous websites have been discontinued.
2. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. More details can be found on the Department of Health’s Modernisation of health and care website.
3. For more information on the health and social care reforms visit http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/context/quickguide/
4. For more information please contact Sarah Eastman, Communications Officer, NHS South of England on 01635 275613.