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 ...

has been organised into administrative units known as Local Health Boards (LHB, ) since 2003. Following a reorganisation in 2009, there are currently seven local health boards in Wales. Local health boards may use an operational name of either University Health Board () or Teaching Health Board (). The LHBs were operationally launched on 1 April 2003, following "The Local Health Boards (Establishment) (Wales) Order 2003" coming into force on 10 February 2003, replacing the five Health Authorities in Wales. In 2003, there were 22 LHBs in Wales, corresponding to one LHB for each principal area of Wales. These new boards would receive roughly three-quarters of the allocated budget for NHS Wales, and the boards were set up to effectively plan services for the populations of their respective local authorities. The boards were given the responsibility of financing hospital trusts, G.Ps, dentists, and other healthcare professionals to provide these services. The Health Commission Wales (Specialist Services) was also created on 1 April 2003 to take over the responsibility of a few services, previously allocated to the Health Authorities, on an all-Wales basis for more effective planning and service, such as the services for; cardiac surgery, emergency ambulance services, and some children's services. In 2009, the health boards were reorganised and merged with local NHS hospital trusts into seven larger local health boards, coming into effect on 1 October 2009, replacing the system in use since 2003. Alongside the seven local health boards there are three all-Wales NHS trusts of NHS Wales (

Public Health Wales Public Health Wales (PHW; ) is an NHS Trust which was established on 1 October 2009 as part of a major restructuring of the health service in Wales. It aims to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities in Wales. ...

Velindre University NHS Trust Felindre is a rural village in southern Wales. Felindre is located in the far north of Swansea, in the electoral ward of Mawr. The nearby Lower Lliw Reservoirs are a popular venue for walking and fishing. The water mill in the village was work ...

and the Welsh Ambulance Service) and one Special Health Authority (Health Education and Improvement Wales).

List of local health boards

Between 2003 and 2009, there were 22 local health boards, corresponding to each principal area, for example, the health board for

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...

was the Vale of Glamorgan Local Health Board, and the board for

Wrexham County Borough Wrexham County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam) is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east and south-east, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the ...

was the Wrexham Local Health Board. In addition, there were changing numbers of NHS trusts since their establishment following the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, due to mergers of some trusts, by 2009 there were 10 local NHS trusts in Wales. These local trusts were then abolished and their functions transferred to the local health boards in 2009. The current seven local health boards in Wales are: *

Swansea Bay University Health Board Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, in the south-west of Wales. Established as Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health ...

, formerly Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board *

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Gwent, in the south-east of Wales. Headquartered in Caerleon, the local health board (LHB) was launched in Oct ...

, the operational name for Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board *

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr) is the local health board of NHS Wales for the north of Wales. It is the largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, commun ...

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan, in the south-east of Wales. Formed on 1 October 2009 through the amalgama ...

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Bridgend in the south of Wales. It was renamed from ''Cwm Taf Un ...

, formerly Cwm Taf University Health Board * Hywel Dda University Health Board, the operational name for Hywel Dda Local Health Board *

Powys Teaching Health Board Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) ( cy, Bwrdd lechyd Addysgu Powys) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Powys in Mid Wales. PTHB is responsible for healthcare in Powys, covering the same area as Powys County Council. It was established ...

A map of the seven local health boards (LHBs) in Wales is shown below. Each LHB is responsible for delivering all NHS healthcare services within a geographical area, divided into a number of Network Clusters.

References

{{reflist NHS Wales 2003 establishments in Wales Government agencies established in 2003