Basingstoke GPs get cash 'yes' (From This is Hampshire)

NHS board approve Basingstoke GP group

1:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Helen Morton

THE move towards GPs taking control of NHS purse strings in the Basingstoke area has reached a milestone.

The North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which will soon take over the planning and buying of healthcare for more than 216,000 patients, has officially been given the green light.

The CCG has now been authorised by the NHS Commissioning Board, meaning it will be formally recognised as stand-alone organisation when it goes live on April 1.

The North Hampshire CCG will take over from primary care trust NHS Hampshire while their counterparts up and down the country do likewise.

Primary care trusts, which were previously responsible for planning and buying local healthcare, are being abolished on March 31 as part of the government’s health reforms.

It is hoped that handing more power to GPs and other clinicians will lead to improvements in patient services for their local populations.

The North Hampshire group, which is comprised of 22 GP practices in and around the Basingstoke area, was formerly known as the Calleva Clinical Commissioning Group, and changed its name to comply with the legal naming regulations surrounding the groups.

Dr Hugh Freeman, chairman of the group, said: “The authorisation process has taken several months and involved a huge amount of work from those at the CCG, and we’re really pleased to have reached this important milestone.

“This is only the start of our journey as a CCG, though, as we fully take on our responsibilities immediately after Easter.

“I would like to thank all the team involved in obtaining our authorisation.

“It’s an exciting time for all of us involved with the CCG, and we’re looking forward to the months ahead as we take the NHS forward into a new era of local accountability.”

For more information, visit northhampshireccg.com.