See:
http://www.southwindsor.org/health/health.htm

http://www.townofstratford.com/health/index.shtm

http://www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/catalog/records/lhsac008/lhb16x...

That seems to me the phrase that most corresponds to the Italian "assessorato". It applies both to town councils, and regional - district or county - councils. (See also http://www.nhsetrent.gov.uk/ )

Wheareas both Health Boards and Authorities seem to be more like the Italian ASL or USL, like Muja said...

I'm not sure I undersatnd the difference between Board and Authority there, they do seem to be separate, but I wouldn't think of either as assessorati anyway.

---- see:

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/20017--b.htm#1

Exercise of functions by Local Health Boards
 
    (1) This section applies to functions which are exercisable by a Local Health Board under or by virtue of section 16BB above or this section.

 
    (2) The Assembly may give directions providing for any functions to which this section applies to be exercised-
 

 
(a) by another Local Health Board;

 
(b) by a Special Health Authority; or

 
(c) jointly with any one or more of the following: Health Authorities, NHS trusts, Primary Care Trusts and other Local Health Boards.

----

.... as for "health council":

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/glossary/glosshowresults.a...

Community Health Council

The health services watchdog, an independent statutory body to represent the interests of the public in all health service provision. Each CHC investigates its local area, covering everything from nursing homes and hospitals to GP surgeries and the ambulance service.


----


So, the health deparment of a regional council/government seems to me what comes closest to the "assessorato alla sanità" of a regione.

And no, it's not such a simple question :)

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Note added at 2004-03-23 21:06:47 (GMT)
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PS - I first thought it might just be \"Health Board\", like Joe and Muja said.
But, what I find confusing is, if Health Authorities are the equivalent of ASL, then what do Health Boards correspond to in the Italian health system? I have no idea...

So I\'d go for \"regional health department\" to avoid any confusion.

Plus, it is used not just in the UK but also in the US ( for instance http://www.regional.niagara.on.ca/government/health/default.... \"As an accredited public health department, the Regional Niagara Public Health Department is committed to...\" ) and other countries (Australia: http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat/2002/oldersmarter/p6exa... - \"the SouthEast Regional Health Department\" -- Canada: http://www.phs.utoronto.ca/weeklyupdate/weeklyupdate10251999... - \"Ottawa-Carleton Regional Health Department\").