Explanatory note

This Order establishes the Durham County Priority Services National Health Service Trust, an NHS trust provided for in section 5 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. It also provides for the functions of the trust (article 3). It specifies the number of directors of the trust (article 4), the operational date (the date on which the trust assumes all its functions) and the accounting date of the trust (article 5), and it specifies the value of assets in excess of which the Secretary of State is to consider the disposal of the assets (article 6).

This Order should be read in conjunction with the North Durham Health Care National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1998^f1, the South Durham Health Care National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1998^f2, the Bishop Auckland Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 1998^f3, the Community Health Care: North Durham National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 1998^f4, the Darlington Memorial Hospital National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 1998^f5, the North Durham Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 1998^f6, and the South Durham National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 1998^f7.