National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002

24 Health and well-being strategies in Wales

(1) It is the duty of —

(a) each local authority in Wales, and

(b) each Local Health Board any part of whose area lies within the area of the local authority,

jointly to formulate and implement a strategy for the health and well-being of members of the public in the local authority’s area (a “health and well-being strategy”).

(2) The local authority and the Local Health Board (or Boards) responsible for a health and well-being strategy are referred to below as the “responsible bodies”.

(3) The responsible bodies are to have regard to their strategy in the exercise of their functions.

(4) Each strategy is to be formulated in relation to a period of time to be specified in regulations to be made by the National Assembly for Wales.

(5) The National Assembly for Wales may by regulations make further provision about health and well-being strategies.

(6) The regulations may, in particular, make provision as to—

(a) the imposition of a duty on the responsible bodies to co-operate in formulating their strategy with prescribed persons or descriptions of person (including, for example, NHS trusts, Community Health Councils, voluntary bodies, and local businesses),

(b) steps which the responsible bodies must take before formulating the strategy,

(c) matters which the strategy must address,

(d) publication of the strategy,

(e) monitoring and review by the responsible bodies of the strategy and its implementation,

(f) the production of information and reports by the responsible bodies in relation to the strategy,

(g) the avoidance of duplication in the preparation of health and well-being strategies and other prescribed strategies or plans provided for under any other enactment.

(7) The National Assembly for Wales may—

(a) give directions to local authorities in Wales, Local Health Boards and NHS trusts in connection with health and well-being strategies,

(b) issue guidance to responsible bodies in connection with them.

(8) The power to give directions in subsection (7)(a) is without prejudice to any other power to give directions to the bodies mentioned there.

(9) In this section—

(a) “local authority” means county council or county borough council,

(b) “prescribed” means prescribed in regulations made by the National Assembly for Wales,

and references to NHS trusts are to be construed as references to NHS trusts all or most of whose hospitals, establishments and facilities are situated in Wales.