Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust: Our Role

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are NHS organisations developed as part of the Government's plan for modernising the NHS. PCTs are independent local organisations, which involve doctors and nurses in decisions to improve the health of their community and provide local health services.

Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust (PCT) has 4 main responsibilities:

* Improving the health of local people by using our resources more effectively to target the health needs of the local population and improve access to health services.

* Develop primary (it is called 'primary' because it is usually the part of the NHS we first meet as patients. Family doctors, pharmacists, dentists and opticians are part of primary care) and community healthcare services, to improve the quality of care.

* Commissioning of hospital services for patients

* To run our two community hospitals in Tewkesbury and Winchcombe.