WILTSHIRE Health Authority marked the end of an era, when it held its last ever meeting.

The authority, which was established in 1996, will be officially wound up at the end of the month.

Under a government shake up of the National Health Service, it will be replaced with a new Strategic Health Authority that takes over the role of Avon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire health authorities.

And frontline health services will be managed by the county's four Primary Care Trusts at Swindon, Kennet and North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire and South Wales.

These differ from the Primary Care Groups they will replace in that they will be responsible for setting their own budgets and be more responsive to local needs.

Southgate House, currently the home of Wiltshire Health Authority, is now up for sale, although there are plans to retain part of it under a lease agreement to house the new shared service consortium that will serve the PCTs with support services such as training, IT and patient registration.

Authority Chief Executive, Jeremy Hallett, will leave the authority to play a key national role in the development of PCTs and care trusts that will merge health and social care.

From April 1 he will take up his new post as associate director for the new national Primary Care Trust and Care Trust development team, with responsibilities that will take him all over the country.

He said: "I am looking forward to taking up the challenges of this new post. Care trusts make perfect common sense for the effective provision and planning of best quality care at local level."

Speaking on behalf of the authority, he acknowledged the hard work and dedication of staff.

"We should all be proud of the achievements of the Authority in making important improvements in the health of people in Wiltshire. In handing over the baton to the PCTs, we are confident we are leaving local health services in the best hands possible," he said.

Anthea Millett, who chaired the Authority's last meeting yesterday, will be taking up her new post as chair of the new strategic health authority from April 1.

She said: "I'm looking forward to my new role as chair of the health authority and to working with PCTs and NHS trusts within the Avon, Gloucester- shire and Wiltshire area."