Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are free-standing, legally established statutory NHS Organisations.

The development of Primary Care Groups (PCGs) and subsequently Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) is at the centre of the programme of reforms to modernise the NHS. PCTs are key to ensuring the local delivery of national targets and service objectives. They will facilitate the greater collaboration between family doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, Professions Allied to Medicine, Social Services and the wider community to shape service and provide better healthcare and better care for their population.

PCTs will take responsibility for securing the provision of a fuller range of services. They will have the responsibility for all family health services practitioners, allowing a coherent view of the development of services locally. PCTs have the responsibility for management, development and integration of all primary care services including medical, dental, pharmaceutical and optical.

The development of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) will require full integration between secondary, primary and community services and this greater co-ordination requires clinical information systems, where patient's details are entered once only. Communication between PCTs, Strategic Health Authorities and Hospital Trusts will be crucial and will be facilitated by Information Technology, to support the seamless provision of healthcare across all parts of the NHS.