The first strategic health authority in England to publish its clinical vision of future healthcare services has offered a lifeline to district general hospitals, with a commitment to maintain accident and emergency and maternity services in all acute hospital trusts.

NHS East of England is the first of England’s nine strategic health authorities to publish its vision document in response to junior health minister Ara Darzi’s review Our NHS, Our Future (BMJ 2007;335:739 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39360.699977.DB).

Last week Lord Darzi published Leading Local Change, which set out the context for the strategic health authorities’ visions and the principles that should guide their implementation (BMJ 2008;336:1091 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39577.649502.DB). The other eight strategic health authorities will publish their own vision documents over the next few weeks.

Towards the Best, Together is the culmination of 18 months of consultation with clinicians, NHS staff, and patients in the East of England region on how the health authority should spend its budget of £8bn (€10bn; $16bn). It sets out how the region will respond …