Next steps for NHS reform - key dates 

October 2011

• NHS Commissioning Board established in shadow form as a special health authority
• strategic health authority (SHA) cluster arrangements in place.

During 2012

• Health Education England and the NHS Trust Development Authority are established as special health authorities, but in shadow form, without full functions.

April 2012

• the next step in extending the choice of Any Qualified Provider, which will be phased in gradually.

By October 2012

• NHS Commissioning Board is established as an independent statutory body, but initially only carries out limited functions - in particular, establishing and authorising clinical commissioning groups.

October 2012

• Monitor starts to take on its new regulatory functions
• HealthWatch England and local HealthWatch are established.

April 2013

• SHAs and PCTs are abolished and the NHS Commissioning Board takes on its full functions
• Health Education England takes over SHAs' responsibilities for education and training
• the NHS Trust Development Authority takes over SHA responsibilities for the foundation trust 'pipeline' and for the overall governance of NHS trusts
• Public Health England is established
• a full system of clinical commissioning groups is established. But the NHS Commissioning Board will not authorise groups to take on their responsibilities until they are ready.

April 2014

• our expectation is that the remaining NHS trusts will be authorised as foundation trusts by April 2014. But if any trust is not ready, it will continue to work towards foundation trust status under new management arrangements.

April 2016

• Monitor's transitional powers of oversight over foundation trusts will be reviewed (except for newly authorised foundation trusts, where Monitor's oversight will continue until two years after the authorisation date if that is later).