Application to form single CCG in Shropshire scrutinised by regional NHS assessment panel
Plans to create a new organisation that will be responsible for buying local healthcare services for the whole of Shropshire have been scrutinised by a regional NHS assessment panel and feedback has been ‘positive’, health bosses say.
There are plans to dissolve both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups to form the new organisation by next April.
Health commissioners say the application is progressing and the plans were presented to a regional NHS England/NHS Improvement panel in early June.
They will still need to go before a national panel to be signed off, but bosses are expecting an answer by October.
A previous application was turned down last year because it was 'not strong enough'.
Dr Julian Povey, chair of Shropshire CCG, said: "We have met with NHS England and Improvement and had our assessment panel, where we have presented the work we have done and the evidence and the regional panel were supportive of the work we had done.
"Certainly we have received support from our local region, the West Midlands and east, and that's been put forward to the national panel so we are expecting sign-off probably by October.
"We're positive about it, and the region are positive about it, but it does require national sign off."
If the group is formed next year, Dr Povey will be the chair of the new organisation.
Health bosses say the creation of a single body is to support the ambition of the NHS Long Term Plan, however the proposals have been met with controversy.
