What is NHS Bournemouth and Poole

NHS Bournemouth and Poole is a Primary Care Trust.  We are responsible for providing healthcare for people who live in Bournemouth and Poole.  We receive money from the government to pay for a wide range of services which help to keep you well and look after you if you become ill.  These services include things like GPs, dentists, opticians, pharmacies and treatment at hospital.

We take an active role in promoting healthy living to help prevent people from becoming ill through our stop smoking service and our involvement with national initiatives such as Change 4 Life.

Because we are funded by the government, we have to be accountable for the decisions we make.  The Trust Board oversees the work of NHS Bournemouth and Poole and holds the Directors to account in public meetings. 

How we fit into the NHS structure

The Government divides money into different departments to look after areas of society. The Department of Health is tasked with looking after the health of the nation and one way it does this is by funding the National Health Service, (NHS). We use the resources from the Department of health to buy services which meet the needs of the local population.