Catalogue description Records of the Regional Offices

Prior to the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948, the Ministry of Health had had regional organisations for housing following the First and Second World Wars, an emergency regional organisation during the latter war and a regional medical service in connection with health insurance.

From 1948-1974 the National Health Service was not a unified service but was administered in three parts - the Hospital and Specialist Services, the General Practitioner Services and the Local Health Authority Services. The National Health Service was reorganised as from 1 April 1974 following consultations with the various professions and organisations concerned and a White Paper (Cmnd 5055), published on 1 August 1972, which set out detailed proposals.

The 1974 reorganisation united the following services of the National Health Service into an integrated structure:

• a. the hospital and specialist service previously administered by the Regional Hospital Boards Hospital Management Committees and Boards of Governors of undergraduate Teaching Hospitals
• b. the Family Practitioner Services previously administered by Executive Councils
• c. the personal health services previously administered by local authorities through their health committees
• d. the school health services previously administered by the local education authorities

The organisation of the National Health Service was then divided into Regional and Area Health Authorities at the local level. Under the new organisation, the Department of Health and Social Security had a central strategic planning role and a responsibility for monitoring the work of the service as a whole.