UK government department for health and social care policy, sponsoring executive agencies and distinct arm’s-length bodies.
Health Governance Explorer, Pilot country
How health governance works in the United Kingdom
Executive agencies, medicines regulation and evidence-based health guidance
The UK Department of Health and Social Care works with executive agencies and arm’s-length public bodies. This selected UK-level institutional map does not represent separate devolved health systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Explore the institutions
Government health structure
Open an organization profile from the chart. Relationship labels and evidence links show how institutions connect.Same level = institutions connected to the central authorityLower level = institution connected through another agency
Verified institutional connections are shown in a horizontal hierarchy. Organizations sharing a row need not have identical legal status; read each relationship label.
Central health authority
UK executive agency sponsored by DHSC; responsible for infectious-disease and other health threats, with some UK-wide and many England-specific functions.
Position shows the documented relationship, not equal legal status or authority. Click a card for its profile, or Evidence for the source.
Public health and health security
- UK Health Security Agency →
UK executive agency sponsored by DHSC; responsible for infectious-disease and other health threats, with some UK-wide and many England-specific functions.
- Centre for Climate and Health Security →
Internal UKHSA centre within its science function, researching climate-related health risks and public-health adaptation.
Medicines and medical devices
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency →
Executive agency sponsored by DHSC, regulating medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion.
Clinical evidence and guidance
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence →
Independent executive non-departmental public body sponsored by DHSC, producing evidence-based clinical and health technology guidance.
- Centre for Climate and Health Security — Internal public-health agency division
- Department of Health and Social Care — Government health ministry
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency — Medicines & health-product regulator
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence — Executive non-departmental public body
- UK Health Security Agency — Government public-health executive agency
Evidence and scope
This independent directory summarizes public institutional relationships from official sources. It is not an official government service or a complete map of health providers, hospitals, or regional authorities. Relationships were checked on 24 October 2026.