A to Z of MS
Click on the relevant link for more information on a topic.
A to Z of MS Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)
Strategic Health Authorities are part of the National Health Service in England.
There are 10 strategic Health Authorities covering England which manage the NHS locally, being responsible for the strategic supervision of all NHS Trusts in their area (apart from Foundation Trusts).
Strategic Health Authorities are the link between the Department of Health and the NHS. SHAs are responsible for developing and improving health services in their local area, ensuring high quality services, measuring performance and making sure that national priorities, such as NICE guidelines and the National Service Framework for long-term conditions, are integrated into local plans.
In July 2010 the government published the white paper Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. This included the aim of abolishing SHAs in England and replacing them with an NHS Commissioning Board and commissioning of services by GPs by April 2013.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland run their local NHS services separately and the role of SHAs is carried out by Health Boards.