Who we are and what we do for local people
NHS Mid Essex is the primary care trust (PCT) for the people that live in the districts of Braintree, Maldon and the borough of Chelmsford. We are allocated a budget every year for this population and we use it to commission, that is to plan and buy, health services on your behalf.
We lead the local NHS. Our job is to work with you, with everyone who works in the NHS in mid Essex and with other local public services to:
- improve the health and well-being of the local population
- make sure that everyone has access to safe, high quality health services when needed
- meet the national targets, put NHS policy into local practice and bring the best of modern healthcare to the residents of mid Essex
- make year on year improvments in health services
- plan for the future
- remain within financial balance.
Our place in the NHS
NHS Mid Essex is one of 14 PCTs in the east of England. We are accountable to NHS East of England, the strategic health authority that is accountable to the Department of Health, as well as to the local population. NHS Trusts, such as Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, are separate organisations that
provide health services. We commission services from such providers and from GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians, who are independent businesses under contract to us.
NHS Mid Essex has a budget of around £515 million in 2010/2011, of which it will spend:
- £10.456m on ambulance services
- £8.705m on placements, continuing care and funded nursing care
- £8.135m on high cost and cancer drugs
- £11.811m on learning disabilities
- £15.624m on dentistry
- £170.469m on hospital services (mainly from Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust, but also other local hospitals)
- £33.821m on mental health services
- £53.741m on community services such as district nurses and health visitors
- £42.855m on specialist commissioning
- £49.721m on GP services
- £58.756m on drugs and medicines prescribed by local doctors
- £12.279m on pharmacy and opthalmic services
- £8.902 on other commissioned services
NHS Mid Essex is governed by a Board, made up from representatives of the local community, local clinicians and the executive directors of the organisation. They meet, in public, every other month to discuss and decide on all issues relating to health services in the area. Click here for details of our Board meetings and to view related papers.
The Executive Directors together with a number of other local clinicians also form an executive board, on which the clinicians have a majority. This group meets fortnightly and makes decisions and also recommendations to the main Board.