What is NHS Cambridgeshire?

Who we are

NHS Cambridgeshire is the leader of the local NHS and commissions (or buys) care from a range of healthcare providers.

We work in partnership with other organisations, such as local councils and the voluntary sector, to improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Cambridgeshire.

The majority of the providers of NHS care are those you would recognise easily and are traditional NHS providers. However, the world is changing and, increasingly we are looking to the third sector (voluntary, charity and not-for-profit organisations) as well as using the private sector to deliver care for the NHS.

What we do

Each year we spend about £800 million of public money with the majority of our budget going towards hospital care, family doctor services and prescribed medicines.

Our main providers of hospital care are Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Addenbrooke’s), Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust.

It is also our job to challenge the way services are traditionally delivered to make sure they are provided in the right place at the right time.

Mental health services are commissioned mainly from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Outside of hospital, we commission services from dental practices, general medical practices and community optometry practices (opticians) and pharmacies.

Our main community services are commissioned from ‘Cambridgeshire Community Services’. who operate as an autonomous organisation and include services such as: health visiting, district nursing, rehabilitation services, palliative care, community dental services, foot health and children’s health services.

We also commission a diverse range of other services including East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Cambridgeshire County Council and the voluntary sector.

We have a responsibility to safeguard the health of our local population and this responsibility extends to ensuring that organisations from whom we commission services meet the requirements of the Health Act 2006 governing infection control.

Our Primary Care Trust Board oversees all our activities and makes sure we are accountable to you for the way we spend tax-payers' money, your money, on local health services.