Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for managing the NHS locally and acting as a conduit between NHS organisations and the Department of Health (DH).

They oversee the local implementation of national policy and are responsible for devising overarching local plans for the NHS to improve services and the health of their population.

There were 10 SHAs in England as of 1 July 2006. There were previously 28, which were reconfigured to the current boundaries as part of Commissioning a Patient-led NHS following local consultations. The current SHAs are coterminous with the regional government offices, apart from the South East which has been divided into two NHS regions, South East Coast SHA and South Central SHA.

• North East
• North West
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• East Midlands
• East of England
• West Midlands
• London
• South East Coast
• South Central
• South West