Following consultation on the Health & Social Care Bill through the Future Forum, the Government decided that although commissioning would continue to be based on GP consortia, they would now be called ‘Clinical Commissioning Groups’.
Who will be involved in Clinical Commissioning Groups?
These groups will normally be co-terminus with local authority boundaries and will need to involve patients, carers, the public and a wide range of doctors, nurses, and other health and care professionals in their commissioning work. There are no specific places for other professional representatives on commissioning groups’ governing bodies.
How will they be accountable?
The Clinical Commissioning Groups will be assessed for accountability and transparency by the NHS Commissioning Board on an ongoing basis, and will have to include at least one registered nurse and one secondary care doctor (neither of whom is to be employed in the area), on their governing body.
Which groups must be represented within each Clinical Commissioning Group?
Each group will have to have at least two lay members on their governing body; one with a lead role in championing public and patient involvement and the other to oversee key elements of governance such as audit, remuneration and managing conflicts of interest.
What does this mean for Local Optical Committees?
Enhanced services provided by community optical practices will be commissioned by Clinical Commissioning Groups from April 2013.
Map of Clinical Commissioning Groups
More information
Government Response to Future Forum Report