Four Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Groups to merge

CLARE WATSON

NHS England / Improvement has formally approved an application to bring together Cheshire's four NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups.

NHS Eastern Cheshire, NHS South Cheshire, NHS Vale Royal and NHS West Cheshire will become the first CCGs in Cheshire and Merseyside to merge on 1st April 2020.

Accountable Officer Clare Watson said: "We are delighted to receive approval from NHS England / Improvement for our application to bring together the four Cheshire CCGs. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in supporting our work to come together so far. This includes staff, GP members, partner organisations and the people of Cheshire.

"Working Together As Cheshire will enable us to strengthen our work as a single team to ensure the people of Cheshire are able to access consistently good care – wherever they live. It will also enable us to further support the development of Integrated Care Partnerships in Cheshire East and Cheshire West which will provide more care closer to home."

A public engagement exercise conducted across Cheshire in May and June 2019 saw 76.5% of the 376 respondents in favour of the creation of a single Cheshire CCG and 86% of responses from a ballot of GP member practices in each of the four CCG areas were in favour of a merger.

Dr Chris Ritchieson, Clinical Chair of NHS West Cheshire CCG, chaired the Governing Body Committees in Common meeting on 26 September at which the outcome of the GP ballot was confirmed.

He said: "Along with Dr Andrew Wilson, GP Chair of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG and NHS South Cheshire CCG; and Dr Jonathan Griffiths, GP Chair of NHS Vale Royal CCG; we would like to extend our thanks to our partners and members of the public who have taken the time to share their thoughts and feedback.

"We would also like to once again acknowledge the time and consideration that our four GP Memberships dedicated to reaching their decision, which supported our ambition to create a single strategic commissioner for Cheshire."

Photo: Clare Watson.

Tags:
NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement