Clinical Commissioning Groups
Through the Health and Social Care Bill, now progressing through Parliament, the NHS is undergoing a significant restructure which will abolish Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) at regional level (October 2012) and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) (2013) at local level.
In their place will be local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which will make the majority of commissioning decisions for the local population, and a national NHS Commissioning Board to oversee the CCGs and commission some low volume services. The aim behind these changes is to ensure clinical decisions lie at the heart of the commissioning process and to place decision making as close to the patient as possible.
No emerging consortia will become statutory organisations until April 2013. From April 2013 all providers of a personal medical services contract (the NHS contract held with GPs) will have to be a member of a consortia in order to continue working within the NHS.
Primary Care Trusts will maintain their current responsibilities until April 2013. They have joined together in clusters as part of this transition phase and to help them to consolidate management costs.
Clinical Commissioning Group Resources
Clinical Commissioning Groups and PCT clusters in Yorkshire & the Humber
Involve Yorkshire & Humber publication about the NHS Transition
Regional Voices Publication about GP Consortia and the Transition Period
