A care trust is a type of

NHS trust An NHS trust is an organisational unit within the National Health Services of England and Wales, generally serving either a geographical area or a specialised function (such as an ambulance service). In any particular location there may be several ...

in the

English National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the United Kingdom. It is the second largest single-payer healthcare system in the world after the ...

and

NHS Wales NHS Wales ( cy, GIG (Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol) Cymru) is the publicly-funded healthcare system in Wales, and one of the four systems which make up the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. NHS Wales was formed as part of the public ...

that provides both

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

social care Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wor ...

. They may carry out a range of services, including social care,

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

services or

primary care Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given by a health care provider. Typically this provider acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care t ...

services. Care Trusts are set up when the NHS and

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

agree to work closely together, usually where it is felt that a closer relationship between health and social care is needed or would benefit local care services. Care trusts were established under the

NHS Plan 2000 The NHS Plan 2000 was a ten year plan of the Blair ministry for the National Health Service (England). It combined a commitment to substantial investment with some quite radical changes. The most controversial aspect of the plan was the introducti ...

, in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to bring together in one legal entity the commissioning and provision of health and social care services, especially for older people.

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust was a NHS trust that provided health and care in and around Torbay, Devon, England. It was a pioneer within the NHS in England in demonstrating the advantages of integrating health and social car ...

was regarded as the most successful. Others are

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust was established in Worcestershire, England, on 1 July 2011 to manage services previously managed by Worcestershire Primary Care NHS Trust's Provider Arm, as well as the mental health ser ...

, Bradford District Care Trust,

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust was formed in April 2006 by a merger between East Kent NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust and West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust. The trust runs inpatient and community services for those ...

and

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust which runs mental health and learning difficulty services in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It runs the Central Health Clinic, Intensive Support Services, Jo ...

Care trusts do not exist in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, nor are there plans to introduce them. In Northern Ireland, health and social care is organised through five sub-regional health and social care trusts.

References

{{reflist

External links

Care trusts on official NHS website
National Health Service Social care in England and Wales