# The Local Health Boards (Establishment) (Wales) Order 2003 W.S.I. 2003/148 · made 29 January 2003 The strategy document Improving Health in Wales, published by the National Assembly for Wales in February 2001, signalled the intention to abolish the existing five Health Authorities in Wales on 1st April 2003 and to create Local Health Boards to which the National Assembly may delegate functions of Health Authorities transferred to it pursuant to section 27 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (1998 c. 38), and other functions of the National Assembly relating to the health service. Made under: National Health Service Act 1977 (Section 16BA, Schedule 5B) PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/local-health-boards-establishment-wales-order-2003/pdf/wsi_20030148_mi.pdf ## Introductory text NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, WALES Made 29th January 2003 Coming into force 10th February 2003 The National Assembly for Wales, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 16BA, subsections (1), (2) and (3) and 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977, and Schedule 5B, paragraphs 1 and 2 to that Act, which are exercisable by it in relation to Wales , makes the following Order— ## 1 Title, commencement and extent (1) This Order may be cited as the Local Health Boards (Establishment) (Wales) Order 2003 and shall come into force on 10th February 2003. (2) This Order applies to Wales only. ## 2 Interpretation In this Order— “the 1977 Act” (“Deddf 1977”) means the National Health Service Act 1977; “establishment date” (“dyddiad sefydlu”) means 10th February 2003; “Local Health Board area” (“ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol”) means the area of Wales for which a Local Health Board is established; “operational date” (dyddiad gweithredu”) has the meaning assigned to it in paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 5B of the National Health Service Act 1977 and; “principal local government area” (prof ardal llywodraeth leol”) means a principal local government area in Wales as set out in Parts I and II of Schedule 4 to the Local Government Act 1972. ## 3 Establishment of Local Health Boards There are hereby established, with effect from the establishment date, the Local Health Boards listed in the Schedule to this Order which shall be called the names assigned to them in that Schedule. ## 4 Nature of Local Health Boards Each Local Health Board is established for the purposes set out in section 16BA (1) of the 1977 Act. ## 5 Local Health Board areas (1) Each Local Health Board area shall be, and shall have the same boundaries as, the principal local government area assigned to it in the Schedule to this Order. (2) If the principal local government area assigned to a Local Health Board under paragraph (1) above is varied, the Local Health Board area shall be varied accordingly. (3) Paragraph (2) above does not apply to creation of a new principal local government area, abolition of an existing principal local government area or a merger of two or more principal local government areas. ## 6 Operational date and accounting date of Local Health Boards (1) The operational date of each Local Health Board shall be 1st April 2003. (2) The accounting date of each Local Health Board shall be 31st March. ## 7 Limited functions before operational date Between its establishment date and its operational date, each Local Health Board shall have the functions of— (a) entering into NHS contracts; (b) entering into other contracts including contracts of employment; and (c) doing such other things as are reasonably necessary to enable it to begin to operate satisfactorily with effect from its operational date. ## Signature Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998 D. Elis-Thomas The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly 29th January 2003 ## Local Health Board names and principal local government areas for which they are established Names of Local Health Boards established under article 3 Principal local government area for which the Local Health Board is established 1. Anglesey Local Health Board Anglesey 2. Gwynedd Local Health Board Gwynedd 3. Cardiff Local Health Board Cardiff 4. Ceredigion Local Health Board Ceredigion 5. Carmarthenshire Local Health Board Carmarthenshire 6. Denbighshire Local Health Board Denbighshire 7. Flintshire Local Health Board Flintshire 8. Monmouthshire Local Health Board Monmouthshire 9. Pembrokeshire Local Health Board Pembrokeshire 10. Powys Local Health Board Powys 11. Swansea Local Health Board Swansea 12. Conwy Local Health Board Conwy 13. Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board Blaenau Gwent 14. Bridgend Local Health Board Bridgend 15. Caerphilly Local Health Board Caerphilly 16. Merthyr Tydfil Local Health Board Merthyr Tydfil 17. Neath Port Talbot Local Health Board Neath and Port Talbot 18. Newport Local Health Board Newport 19. Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Health Board Rhondda Cynon Taff 20. Torfaen Local Health Board Torfaen 21. Vale of Glamorgan Local Health Board Vale of Glamorgan 22. Wrexham Local Health Board Wrexham ## Explanatory note (This note is not part of the Order) The strategy document Improving Health in Wales, published by the National Assembly for Wales in February 2001, signalled the intention to abolish the existing five Health Authorities in Wales on 1st April 2003 and to create Local Health Boards to which the National Assembly may delegate functions of Health Authorities transferred to it pursuant to section 27 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (1998 c. 38), and other functions of the National Assembly relating to the health service. This Order establishes Local Health Boards as provided for in section 16BA of and Schedule 5B to the National Health Service Act 1977 (1977 c. 49) and sets out the areas for which they are established. The intention is that Local Health Board areas should have the same boundaries as local government areas in Wales. The Order also provides for interim functions of Local Health Boards between their establishment and operational dates and sets their accounting date. Welsh Health Authorities are abolished by Order made pursuant to section 27 of the Government of Wales Act 1988. In relation to the membership and constitution of Local Health Boards, see the Local Health Boards (Constitution, Membership and Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/149, (W.19)). In relation to the functions delegated to Local Health Boards, see the Local Health Boards (Functions)(Wales) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/150, (W.20)). --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2003/148 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/local-health-boards-establishment-wales-order-2003 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.