NHS Trusts

National Health Service Trusts (NHS Trusts) provide many services of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales. They are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is chaired by a non-executive director. Non-executive directors are recruited by open advertisement.

There are several types of Trusts carrying out services for the NHS:
* Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) providing primary care
* Hospital Trusts, (often referred to as Acute Trusts)
* Foundation Trusts
* Ambulance Trusts [http://www.nhs.uk/England/AuthoritiesTrusts/Ambulance/Default.aspx]
* Care Trusts, providing health and social care services
* Mental Health Services Trusts [http://www.nhs.uk/England/AuthoritiesTrusts/MentalHealth/Default.aspx] .
* Special Health Authorities, organised on an NHS Trust basis, dealing with NHS-wide issues

In addition there are (after reorganization in 2006) ten Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), organised on a regional basis, which have the responsibility of coordinating the strategies of the health trusts in their regions. These are also headed by boards of executive and non-executive directors.

All NHS Trust Boards are required to have an Audit Committee consisting only of non-executive directors, on which the Chairman may not sit. This committee is entrusted not only with supervision of financial audit, but of systems of corporate governance within the Trust.

See also

* List of NHS Trusts

References

* [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/downloads/primary_care_10_02.pdf Map showing Primary Care Trusts]