NHS strategic health authorities (SHA) are part of the structure of the National Health Service in England. Each SHA is responsible for enacting the directives and implementing fiscal policy as dictated by the Department of Health at a regional level. In turn each SHA area contains various NHS trusts which take responsibility for running or commissioning local NHS services. The SHA is responsible for strategic supervision of these services. In 2002, the existing NHS Health Authorities (see List of NHS Health Authorities (1996-2002)) were renamed and merged to form the 28 new Strategic Health Authorities. On April 12, 2006, Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, announced that, following an NHS consultation, which ended on March 22, 2006, the SHAs were to be reorganized, reducing to ten in number. This is hoped to produce substantial financial savings.