Community directory

West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust

West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) was established on 1st October 2006. We are made up of the former Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans and Harpenden and Watford and Three Rivers primary care trusts.

Primary care is the care provided by people you normally see when you first have a health problem. It might be a visit to a doctor, dentist, an optician for an eye test, or just a trip to a pharmacist to buy cough mixture.

Our aim is to improve the health of local residents by providing access to high quality health services and encouraging people to make healthy lifestyle choices (for example stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet and taking regular exercise).

Providing care

We provide some services directly. We employ all the district nurses, health visitors, school and other nurses who work in West Hertfordshire as well as speech and language therapists, nutritionists and podiatrists who work in community clinics and in people's homes.

The clinicians who run these services are employed directly by the primary care trust.

Commissioning care

It is also our responsibility to make sure you can use other health services when you need them. We commission (buy) care from a range of sources, including GPs, pharmacies, dentists, acute hospitals, mental health trusts, voluntary organisations and in some cases the private sector.

All of this is supported by a dedicated team of non-clinical staff working from the PCT headquarters in Welwyn Garden City.

The Board

We are run by a Board of non-executive and executive directors and share a single management team with East and North Hertfordshire PCT. This means that the Chief Executive and executive directors manage both Hertfordshire PCTs. However, each PCT has its own Board to ensure local focus.

The executive directors of the Board are employed by the PCT. The non-executive directors are independent people who work on a part time basis, to make sure that the PCT acts in the best interest of local people.

The Board is responsible for the performance of the PCT and also oversees the work of the Professional Executive Committee (PEC). The joint PEC, which covers the whole of Hertfordshire, is made up of local GPs who advise the PCT on clinical matters.

The PCT is responsible for working with local people to improve their health and to make sure that primary care services (for example those NHS services provided by your GP, community nurse, health visitor, therapist or school health advisor) are delivered to the highest possible standard.

We also arrange healthcare for local people provided in:

* General and specialist hospitals
* Care homes, clinics and community settings
* Patients' homes
* Prisons

We aim to help people to stay healthy by offering practical support such as:

* Running local sessions to help you give up smoking
* Holding support groups for parents
* Working with partner organisations to organise health services for people with specific medical conditions

We also hold the majority of the NHS budget locally with which we "commission" the provision of healthcare services on behalf of our resident population. The PCT also funds the cost of medicines and drugs prescribed by your local GP.

By actively caring for your health, we aim to reduce chronic disease, increase life expectancy and promote healthy living in our community.

To do this over the next few years the PCT will be delivering radically changed services, closer to patients, in their homes, primary care practices, clinics and other settings. To provide equal care and more choice for all, these changes will be led by clinicians informed by patients and carers and commissioned in partnership between the PCTs and their linked clinicians.

Care will be provided by teams who have good opportunities to develop their skills and deliver excellent services.


Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have regarding the care provided by GPs, practice nurses, health visitors, district nurses, therapists, dentists, pharmacists and opticians with East and North Hertfordshire.

For further information and contact details, please use the link on the top righthand side of this page.