Wales/Health boards

Places and services

Seven health boards, one national system

Each board serves a defined population but its geography, hospital network and referral pathways can be very different. This is a first orientation—not a clinical directory.

7local health boards

3NHS trusts

Health boards plan and deliver local services and commission care from other organisations. National trusts cover ambulance, public-health, cancer and blood services.

Official national directory ↗

Local health board

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Area served: Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen
Main centres: Newport, Cwmbran, Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale and Ystrad Mynach
Principal sites: The Grange University Hospital · Royal Gwent Hospital · Nevill Hall Hospital · Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr · Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan

The Grange is the principal centre for the most seriously ill patients; enhanced local general hospitals provide a wide range of planned and local care.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Area served: Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham
Main centres: Bangor, Bodelwyddan, Wrexham and communities across North Wales
Principal sites: Ysbyty Gwynedd · Ysbyty Glan Clwyd · Wrexham Maelor Hospital

A geographically large board with three main district general hospitals and an extensive network of community sites.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Area served: Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
Main centres: Cardiff, Penarth and Barry
Principal sites: University Hospital of Wales · University Hospital Llandough · Barry Hospital

Provides local services and a wide range of tertiary and highly specialised services for patients from across Wales.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Area served: Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf
Main centres: Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Llantrisant and the South Wales valleys
Principal sites: Princess of Wales Hospital · Prince Charles Hospital · Royal Glamorgan Hospital

Three main acute hospital sites are supported by community hospitals, health parks and mental-health services.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Area served: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire
Main centres: Carmarthen, Llanelli, Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest
Principal sites: Glangwili General Hospital · Prince Philip Hospital · Bronglais General Hospital · Withybush General Hospital

Covers a large urban, rural and coastal area across mid and west Wales; travel and cross-site working can be significant.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Powys Teaching Health Board

Area served: Powys
Main centres: Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown, Welshpool, Machynlleth, Ystradgynlais and other rural communities
Principal sites: Community hospitals and centres across North, Mid and South Powys · No district general hospital within the county

Provides community, primary, mental-health and local hospital care, while commissioning many acute and specialist services from neighbouring Welsh health boards and English NHS trusts.

Visit the health board ↗

Local health board

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Area served: Swansea and Neath Port Talbot
Main centres: Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot
Principal sites: Morriston Hospital · Singleton Hospital · Neath Port Talbot Hospital

Provides local and regional services; Morriston hosts major specialist services including burns, plastics and cardiac surgery.

Visit the health board ↗

A different service model

Understanding Powys

Powys is a large, sparsely populated rural county without a district general hospital. The health board provides local community hospitals, primary care, mental-health, rehabilitation and other services. For many acute and specialist services it commissions care from neighbouring health boards in Wales and NHS trusts in England.

For a doctor, that makes pathway orientation essential: the receiving organisation can vary by specialty and by where the patient lives. Confirm local referral, transfer, information-sharing and repatriation processes during induction rather than assuming one county-wide destination.

Neighbouring hospitals ↗Powys sites ↗

Future services and jobs

Follow plans; do not rely on speculation

Workforce needs may change as services develop, but a public plan is not the same as an approved vacancy.

Service change

Powys Teaching Health Board’s public Better Together programme discusses the future shape of safe, sustainable services. Use its published engagement material for current proposals and decisions.

Better Together ↗

Actual vacancies

Use NHS Jobs and the employer’s recruitment page for posts that are formally approved and open. Read the base, cross-site duties and on-call geography carefully.

Powys vacancies ↗

Before day one

Starting in any Welsh health board

Map the sites

Confirm your normal base, on-call base, travel time, parking or public transport and whether remote work is agreed.

Map the pathways

Identify tertiary centres, networked services, inter-hospital transfers and specialties delivered outside your board.

Map the support

Find medical staffing, payroll, occupational health, IT, education, speaking-up routes and SAS or training contacts.

Map the job plan

Check clinical activity, administration, SPA time, travel, objectives, resources and any work across multiple sites.

Editorial note

Public orientation only

Hospital functions and pathways change. This page deliberately avoids internal plans, individual cases and unpublished workforce information. Follow the linked health-board pages for live operational detail.