Plans to create single CCG group in Shropshire moving forward
Health bosses are meeting weekly to oversee plans to create a new organisation that will be responsible for buying local NHS healthcare services for the whole of Shropshire, a new report has revealed.
Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Shropshire CCG are currently both separately responsible for commissioning health services in their own areas.
It is now planned to dissolve the CCGs in favour of creating a single organisation from April next year, in a decision which has been met with controversy.
A new report to Telford & Wrekin CCG's governance board, which meets on Tuesday, says the CCGs have created a group consisting of health bosses to oversee the change.
It says: "The CCGs have convened a joint executive group, composed of the directors and executive leads from both CCGs, which is meeting weekly to provide the necessary oversight to the programme and to ensure project timelines are adhered to and risks are identified and mitigated where possible."
As part of the plans, a job has been advertised to find a new accountable officer who will lead the evolution of the single group.
The report says the recruitment process is being overseen by the chairs of both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs.
The deadline for applications for the accountable officer job is Sunday and interviews are expected to take place on July 23.
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The interview panel will include a representative from NHS England.
The report says: "The timeframe for recruitment has been agreed as six weeks which is currently on target."
It comes as the CCGs need to make cuts of 20 per cent to running costs to save £1.2 million.
Health bosses say the creation of a single body is to support the ambition of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Another report to the CCG's governance board says Tracey Slater, registered board nurse on the governing body, is planning to stand down from the role in September.
Due to the plans to create a single organisation, it is proposed that Christine Morris, executive lead for quality, nursing and safety, takes on the registered board nurse role.
The role of executive lead for quality, nursing and safety would then be deleted.
The plans to create a single CCG group, which were approved in May, have been met with controversy.
Telford & Wrekin Council's leader Shaun Davies has said his council will fight the plans, which he claims amount to the town being "fleeced" to help Shropshire CCG, which has a historic deficit of more than £70m.
However, Shropshire Council voiced its support in what it described as a "positive step".
