List of district health authorities in England and Wales
AHA 1974-82 District Health Authority 1982 Local Government Areas Changes
Avon Bristol and Weston Bath , Wansdyke , part of Woodspring ( Axbridge and Weston-super-Mare areas ) , part of Bristol ( Bedminster , Brislington , Clifton , Windmill Hill areas ) Part of Bristol and District 1991
Gloucestershire Cheltenham and District Cheltenham , part of Cotswold ( Cirencester , Chipping Campden , Stow-on-the-Wold areas ) , most of Tewkesbury ( except area formerly in Gloucester Rural District Part of Gloucestershire District 1991
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ( Same area as AHA )
Devon Exeter East Devon , Exeter , Mid Devon , part of West Devon ( Okehampton area ) , part of Teignbridge ( area formerly in St Thomas Rural District ) Part of Exeter and North Devon District 1993
Avon Frenchay Kingswood , part of Northavon ( Chipping Sodbury area ) , part of Bristol ( Easton , Eastville , St George areas ) Part of Bristol and District 1991
Gloucestershire Gloucester Forest of Dean , Gloucester , Stroud , part of Cotswold ( Tetbury area ) Part of Gloucestershire District 1991
Devon North Devon North Devon , Torridge Part of Exeter and North Devon District 1993
Devon Plymouth Plymouth , part of South Hams ( Kingsbridge , Salcombe areas ) Part of Plymouth and Torbay District 1993
Somerset Somerset Somerset ( entire county ) Same area as AHA
Avon Southmead Part of Bristol ( Avonmouth , Henbury , Horfield , Redland , Southmead , Westbury-on-Trym areas ) , part of Northavon ( Thornbury area ) , part of Woodspring ( Clevedon and Portishead areas ) Part of Bristol and District 1991
Devon Torbay Torbay , part of Teignbridge ( except part in Exeter District ) , part of South Hams ( Dartmouth , Totnes areas ) Part of Plymouth and Torbay District 1993
Authorities in South Western Region -- District Authorities created 1982
Eight district health authorities were formed in the Wessex Region in 1982 , replacing four Area Health Authorities :
A district health authority was an administrative unit of the National Health Service in England and Wales from 1982 to 2000. Both the configuration and the responsibilities were altered several times during that period. Area Health Authorities, which existed from 1974 to 1982, were an intermediate tier created by the 1974 reorganisation. The most common complaint in evidence about the reorganisation of the NHS made to the Royal Commission on the National Health Service was that it added an extra and unnecessary tier of management.