Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

A Health Care Provider is an ORGANISATION acting as a direct provider of health care SERVICES.

A Health Care Provider is a legal entity, or a sub-set of a legal entity, which may provide health care under NHS SERVICE AGREEMENTS; it may operate on one or more sites within and outside hospitals.

This definition covers Local Authorities with social care responsibilities working in cooperation with an NHS Health Care Provider on nationally targeted and prioritised care as delivered within Care Spells. Lead responsibility for such care may be solely led by one Health Care Provider or jointly shared by two or more Health Care Providers each of which must share equal responsibility.

The following ORGANISATIONS may act as Health Care Providers:

- GP Practice
- NHS Trust
- NHS Foundation Trust
- Registered non-NHS Provider (e.g. Independent Provider, Independent Sector Healthcare Provider etc)
- Unregistered non-NHS Provider
- Care Trust
- Local Authorities with social care responsibilities
- Other agencies