NHS England has approved the first set of GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) that will take on responsibility for commissioning the majority of GP services from April this year.

*64 CCGs across the country have been approved to take on greater ‘delegated’ commissioning responsibility for GP services with the possibility that others may follow. This follows plans set out by NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens, early last year, to give patients, communities and clinicians more scope in deciding how local services are developed.

Dr Amanda Doyle, Primary Care Co-Commissioning Programme Oversight Group Co-Chair and Chief Clinical Officer for NHS Blackpool CCG said: “This is a journey to enable local commissioning arrangements that can deliver the kind of integrated care, in and out of hospital that we all want to see.

“Giving GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups more influence over the wider NHS budget, will enable a shift in investment from acute to primary and community services and to enable money to follow the patient. The introduction of co-commissioning is another strong step on the path to provide a more joined up, high quality service for the future.”

Ian Dodge, National Director for Commissioning Strategy at NHS England, said: “Today we are backing 64 CCGs who have asked NHS England for full delegated powers to improve local primary care, within a transparent and robust framework for managing conflicts of interest. It is a vote of confidence in CCGs.  It is part of our commitment to deliver a new deal for primary care.  And it’s a critical step towards joining up the commissioning system, which in turn will help unlock new models of integrated care described in the NHS Five Year Forward View.”

Taking on ‘delegated’ responsibility from NHS England means CCGs will commission general medical services.

Delegated responsibility is one of three models offered to CCGs along with joint commissioning with NHS England and greater involvement in commissioning. Decisions on which CCGs will be approved for joint commissioning will be made in the coming weeks.

For CCGs that haven’t been approved at this stage, NHS England will continue to provide support to help them achieve the commissioning model that works best for them.

The latest move follows the plan set out in the Next steps towards primary care co-commissioning document developed by the joint CCG and NHS England primary care co-commissioning programme oversight group in partnership with NHS Clinical Commissioners, and is another step towards delivering the wider strategic agenda set out in the Five Year Forward View.

64 CCGs have been given full approval on their applications for delegation (see list below). One CCG is approved pending changes to some governance arrangements.

North

NHS Sunderland CCG
NHS North Durham CCG
NHS Durham Dales, Easington And Sedgefield CCG
NHS East Lancashire CCG
NHS Greater Preston CCG
NHS Chorley And South Ribble CCG
NHS Blackpool CCG
NHS Fylde & Wyre CCG
NHS Blackburn With Darwen CCG
NHS Bradford City CCG
NHS Bradford Districts CCG
NHS Calderdale CCG
NHS Wakefield CCG
NHS Scarborough And Ryedale CCG
NHS Harrogate And Rural District CCG
NHS Vale Of York CCG
NHS Barnsley CCG
NHS Rotherham CCG
NHS St Helens CCG
NHS Liverpool CCG
NHS Knowsley CCG
NHS Halton CCG
NHS Oldham CCG
NHS Wigan Borough CCG

Midlands and East

NHS South Warwickshire CCG
NHS South Worcestershire CCG
NHS Birmingham Crosscity CCG
NHS Sandwell And West Birmingham CCG
NHS Dudley CCG
NHS Birmingham South And Central CCG
NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG
NHS Shropshire CCG
NHS North Derbyshire CCG
NHS Hardwick CCG
NHS Mansfield & Ashfield CCG
NHS Newark & Sherwood CCG
NHS Nottingham North & East CCG
NHS Nottingham West CCG
NHS Nottingham City CCG
NHS Erewash CCG
NHS Rushcliffe CCG
NHS Southern Derbyshire CCG
NHS Lincolnshire West CCG
NHS Lincolnshire East CCG
NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG
NHS South Lincolnshire CCG
NHS East Leicestershire And Rutland CCG
NHS Leicester City CCG
NHS West Leicestershire CCG
NHS Castle Point And Rochford CCG

London

NHS Tower Hamlets CCG
NHS Waltham Forest CCG
NHS Newham CCG
NHS Redbridge CCG
NHS Barking & Dagenham CCG
NHS Havering CCG

South

NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham And Seaford CCG
NHS Hastings & Rother CCG
NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG
NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG
NHS Fareham And Gosport CCG
NHS West Hampshire CCG
NHS Portsmouth CCG
NHS Gloucestershire CCG