West Glamorgan Health Authority records

The collection contains minutes, agenda papers, reports, accounts and correspondence.

The West Glamorgan Area Health Authority was created in 1974 following a restructuring of the NHS in Wales. It was set up to assume the responsibility of Hospital Management Committees, Regional Hospital Boards, Executive Councils, County and District/ Borough Councils through the two health districts of Neath/Port Talbot and Swansea. The Swansea Executive Council which was constituted under section 21 of the National Health Service Act, 1946 was one of the bodies from which the West Glamorgan Health Authority assumed responsibility in 1974 and its minutes form part of this collection.

From 1974-82 the Health Authority fulfilled its functions through an Area Team and an Area Medical Advisory Committee. The Area Team was further subdivided into the Swansea District Management Team (covering the Swansea Health District) and the Neath District Management Team (covering the Neath Health District).The Area Medical Advisory Committee was further subdivided into the Swansea District Medical Committee and the Neath District Medical Committee.

In April 1982, in response to the document 'Patients First' and reflecting a further management restructuring within NHS Wales, the authority's title changed to the West Glamorgan District Health Authority. The subdivisions then became the West Glamorgan District Management Team (from 1986 the District Management Board) and the District Medical Committee which again subdivided into the Swansea Medical Staff Committee and the Neath Medical Staff Committee. [see family tree of WGHA hierarchy]. The county was divided into five operational units, North, East, West, Community and Mental Health.

The Griffiths Report in 1982 introduced general management to health authorities as a more efficient means of managing health care than the old administrative model. New management arrangements were clearly set out and accepted in 1984 specifying the role and duties of the Chairman, Health Authority Members and District General Manager. The unit structure delineated in the next year set up three acute units, the North Unit based on Morriston, the West Unit based at Singleton, the East Unit based at Neath General Hospital, and amalgamated the community and mental health functions in one Unit forming the District Services Unit. General Managers for the Units were appointed in 1985.

The proposals of the White Paper 'Working for Patients' became law under the NHS Act, 1990, transforming the way health care was managed by dividing the purchasing authority from the provider units and delivering health care under contractual agreements organised by the Health Authority. Iechyd Morgannwg Health one of five health authorities in Wales covered the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend. It had two trusts: Swansea NHS Trust which covered Swansea hospitals and Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust which covered Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend hospitals. From 1 April 2003 health authorities ceased to exist in Wales and were replaced by Local Health Boards which worked alongside the NHS trusts to deliver health services at community level. Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Local health Boards then served the two unitary authority areas.

Following its natural creation, the material has been arranged by series.

No restrictions

A hard copy catalogue is available at West Glamorgan Archives.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

The material transferred from the Health Authority was selected to reflect its administrative activity. Some duplicate series of minutes have been destroyed.

Accruals are not expected.

See also Welsh Hospital Board (D/D H/WHB), NHS Executive Council for Glamorgan (D/D PRO/NHS), Welsh Board of Health (D/D PRO/WBH), Glantawe Hospital Management Committee (D/D H/Gl), Swansea Local Health Group (D/D SLHG), Swansea Local Medical Committee (D/D SLMC)