NHS West Essex holds the NHS budget for the 270,000 people who live in Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford. The area we cover stretches from Buckhurst Hill in the south of Essex to Steeple Bumpstead in the north. We are responsible for improving primary care and the health of the local population.

Our annual budget is approximately £330 million.

We are responsible for providing:

• primary care services - GPs, dentistry, ophthalmology, pharmacy
• therapy services – speech and language, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, paediatric, occupational
• four community hospitals which have:
• a day hospital for our older residents
• inpatient wards – for older people
• a community clinic
• nursing services – district, school and community matrons
• community services such as dental, podiatry
• minor surgery.

Across west Essex there are:

• 17 clinics and health centres
• 187 GPs
• 101 dentists
• 96 opticians

Our services include:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech and language therapists
• Podiatry
• Chiropody
• Community dental services
• Health visitors
• District nurses
• School nurses
• Children’s services and child protection
• Health promotion
• Older people’s services
• Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
• Inpatient and outpatient services
• Harlow Walk-in Centre (replaced by Urgent Care Centre)
• Young people’s information centres
• Cancer support services
• Rehabilitation services
• Endoscopy
• Lead purchaser for mental health services across north Essex
• Condition management programme (working with people who have mental health problems who are on incapacity benefit to get them back into work)
• Nutrition, dietetics and diabetes care