About us

NHS North East Essex was set up in October 2006 as part of wider plans to reconfigure primary care trusts in England and is the organisation which covers the areas shown on the attached map.

NHS North East Essex provides treatment for routine injuries and illnesses from a range of healthcare professionals, including GPs, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and opticians. You can also gain access to preventative care, such as services to stop smoking or to encourage exercise and healthy eating.

We are also responsible for ensuring residents have access to these healthcare services and for commissioning (purchasing) many other services from the NHS and the independent healthcare sector. These include services from acute hospitals, such as Colchester General Hospital, mental health services and ambulance services.

Each organisation such as ours across the country is an independent statutory organisation responsible for assessing the health needs of its local population, working to meet those needs within the resources available, improving the health of local people and reducing health inequalities.

NHS North East Essex holds the NHS budget for the residents of Colchester and Tendring, some 315,000 people in the 255 square miles covered by Colchester Borough Council and Tendring District Council. The funding is used to make sure that high quality health services are available for residents and to improve the health of the local population.

The services run directly by NHS North East Essex include the community hospitals at Clacton and Harwich, community clinics, Colchester Primary Care Centre, district nurses, health visitors and school nurses. We also provide learning disabilities services in North East, Mid and West Essex.

NHS North East Essex is the host organisation for Essex Primary Care R&D which consists of Essex Primary Care Research Network and Essex Research Management and Governance Office.

North East Essex Health Needs Assessment

With NHS North East Essex as the lead commissioner of health services, much work is needed in planning the provision of services and addressing health inequalities. It is vital to consider how resources can be equitably allocated taking into account the differing needs of the residents of North East Essex.

Annual Public Health Report and Needs Assessment 2007-08
North East Essex Health Needs Assessment 2006-07

Annual Public Health Report - Progress on 2007-08

Annual Public Health Report and Needs Assessment - June 2009

Essex Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs)

This work represents a fantastic partnership effort across health and local authorities (county, unitary, district and borough) and has already played a significant role in enabling partners to determine shared priorities for inclusion in local and county sustainable community strategies. It has also helped shape the future priorities that partners need to include in our next Local Area Agreement.

Essex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2008 - Colchester Profile

Essex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2008 - Tendring Profile