Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group in top fifth of new NHS commissioning organisations
The biggest clinical commissioning group (CCG) in the country is celebrating after getting the ‘all clear’ to commission NHS services on behalf of the almost one million people in its area.
And the NHS body which officially authorised the group to carry out its statutory functions has done so without attaching any conditions – putting the CCG in the top 20 per cent in the country.
“Our GPs and staff have worked hard to produce clear and credible plans for the patients we serve,” said Rebecca Harriott, chief officer of Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG. “And, we are really pleased that the NHS Commissioning Board recognised this.
“This is only the beginning and the hard work starts now, realising our vision of healthy people, living healthy lives, in healthy communities.”
In total, 43 of the 211 CCGs in the country have been authorised meaning that they met all 119 criteria for authorisation. A further 168 CCGs have been authorised with conditions meaning that they have some additional work to do before they fully meet the criteria.
In practical terms, the announcement means Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG is authorised to buy more than £1.1 billion worth of healthcare services for people living in the area.
The CCG will take on these responsibilities from NHS Devon, Plymouth and Torbay on April 1 – the day after primary care trusts, which currently carry out the functions, are formally abolished.
In a letter to local GP and CCG chairman Dr Tim Burke, the NHS Commissioning Board offered its congratulations.
“On behalf of the NHS Commissioning Board I would like to acknowledge the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm from your CCG,” the letter says.
Dr Burke welcomed the announcement.
“This is excellent news,” he said. “It means that we have a firm foundation on which to build, working with the NHS, Local Government partners and the voluntary and independent sectors to commission the best possible services we can.
“Our vision is ‘healthy people, living healthy lives, in healthy communities’ and we will only achieve this if we put the patient at the heart of everything we do, working with people to deliver the right NHS services locally.”
CCGs are tested on more than 100 domains (or areas) by teams from the NHS Commissioning Board before being authorised.
This covers:
- Quality improvement and the degree to which clinicians (GPs and other clinical staff) are involved
- A clinically-led and developed organisational vision: ‘healthy people, living healthy lives, in healthy communities’
- Arrangements to promote the involvement of patients and carers
- A Governing Body that fulfils national requirements.
