NHS Croydon
Encyclopedia
NHS Croydon is the name for the National Health Service
primary care trust with responsibility for the borough of Croydon
, which covers parts of south west London
and north Surrey
. It is responsible for planning and funding healthcare, and for public health
in Croydon. It comes under the remit NHS London
, which is the strategic health authority for London.
, John Hutton
, using his powers under the National Health Service Act 1977. The trust took over responsibility for the health services in the area from the previously established Croydon Health Authority.
In May 2009 Croydon Primary Care Trust adopted the name of NHS Croydon as it was felt to be more accessible to local communities and better reflected the role of the organisation. NHS Croydon is now the operating name of the trust, however for legal and statutory purposes it is still uses the name Croydon Primary Care Trust.
Croydon has 227 GPs in 64 practices, 156 dentists in 51 practices, 166 pharmacists and 70 optometrists in 28 practices.
There is one major NHS hospital trust in Croydon – Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust which provides hospital services at Mayday University Hospital
and Purley War Memorial Hospital.
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
primary care trust with responsibility for the borough of Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, which covers parts of south west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and north Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. It is responsible for planning and funding healthcare, and for public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in Croydon. It comes under the remit NHS London
NHS London
NHS London is a strategic health authority of the National Health Service in England. It operates in the London region, which is coterminous with the local government office region....
, which is the strategic health authority for London.
Background and legal status
It was originally established in 2002 as Croydon Primary Care Trust by order of the then UK government’s secretary of state for healthSecretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
, John Hutton
John Hutton (Labour MP)
John Matthew Patrick Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria from 1992 to 2010, and has served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary...
, using his powers under the National Health Service Act 1977. The trust took over responsibility for the health services in the area from the previously established Croydon Health Authority.
In May 2009 Croydon Primary Care Trust adopted the name of NHS Croydon as it was felt to be more accessible to local communities and better reflected the role of the organisation. NHS Croydon is now the operating name of the trust, however for legal and statutory purposes it is still uses the name Croydon Primary Care Trust.
Key responsibilities
NHS Croydon has the stated goal of ‘longer, healthier lives for all the people of Croydon'. In addition NHS Croydon has three key roles:- Planning and funding health services through local doctors, dentists, pharmacies, voluntary sector agencies and hospitals
- Providing health services through its provider arm – Croydon Community Health Services
- Leading on public health body for the area, promoting health living and preventing the spread of disease.
Health services in Croydon
Croydon is London’s largest borough with a population of 340,000.Croydon has 227 GPs in 64 practices, 156 dentists in 51 practices, 166 pharmacists and 70 optometrists in 28 practices.
There is one major NHS hospital trust in Croydon – Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust which provides hospital services at Mayday University Hospital
Mayday University Hospital
Croydon University Hospital, formerly Mayday Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Croydon in south London, England, and is in the administrative area of NHS Croydon - Croydon Primary Care Trust. It is administratively a part of Croydon Health Services. It is a teaching hospital.It is...
and Purley War Memorial Hospital.
Health profile of Croydon
The Association of Public Health Observatories summarises the health profile of Croydon as follows:
“Overall, the health of people in Croydon is similar to the England average. The proportion of people diagnosed with diabetes and the rate of new cases of tuberculosis are higher in Croydon than the England average, but the rate of people aged over 65 in poor health, and the percentage of adults who are obese, are better than the England average.
There are health inequalities within Croydon by location, gender, and ethnicity. For males living in the most deprived areas of Croydon, life expectancy is almost nine years less than for those living in the least deprived areas. For females the difference is just over five years.
Over the last ten years, the death rate from all causes combined has fallen for males and remained lower than the England average. While rates for females have also improved they remain similar to the England average. Early death rates from heart disease and stroke, and cancer, have also fallen during this period.
Rates of children in poverty, infant mortality, teenage pregnancy, and the level of childhood obesity, are significantly worse than the England average. Levels of breastfeeding initiation and smoking during pregnancy are, however, better.”
External links
- NHS Croydon website - http://www.croydon.nhs.uk
- Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust - http://www.maydayhospital.org.uk/
- NHS London website - http://www.london.nhs.uk
- UK Department of Health Website - http://www.dh.gov.uk
- Association of Public Health Observatories - http://www.apho.org.uk
- Croydon Observatory - http://www.croydonobservatory.org