Ministry of Health: Regional Hospital Boards, Registered Files (RHB Series)

MH 88

1924-1973

This series contains Ministry of Health Headquarters registered files concerning two Regional Hospital Boards selected as being representative of Boards in England and Wales, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Regional Hospital Board, and the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In addition there are a few files concerning the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board, the Leeds Regional Hospital Board, the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, and the Sheffield Regional Board of Hospitals. The files selected deal with a wide range of subjects, including Board constitutions, building plans, land acquisition, accommodation and domestic arrangements, staff questions, expenditure and estimates, and surgical supplies and apparatus.

For later general files, see BN 22

RHB file series

Public Record(s)

English

354 file(s)

The chairmen and members of Regional Hospital Boards were appointed by the Secretary of State for Social Services after consultation with the representatives of the medical profession in the Board's area, local health authorities and other organisations (eg professional societies, the associated university, hospital associations, trade unions, employers' organisations) as appeared to the Secretary of State to be concerned. Members were appointed for 3 year periods, but could be re-appointed; one third of places fell vacant each year.

Regional Hospital Boards similarly appointed the chairmen and members of their Hospital Management Committees after consultation with local health authorities, Executive Councils in the Board's areas, the senior hospital, medical and dental staff employed at hospitals in the group, and other interested organisations such as social service organisations, Women's Institutes and Trades Councils. Regional Hospital Boards also submitted plans for the future development of their services. They were also entrusted with the work of examining and approving the estimates submitted by their Management Committees within the total amount permitted for each region.

From 1 April 1974, the Regional Hospital Boards were replaced by Regional Health Authorities, which had a much broader scope than hospitals alone, and individually covered much larger areas than the old Regional Hospital Boards.