Cheshire CCGs look toward merger

The four groups responsible for buying healthcare services in the county are looking to pool their resources.

Leaders of NHS Eastern Cheshire, Vale Royal, South and West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's) are getting ready to vote on whether or not to press ahead with proposals to merge.

It's thought coming together would ensure all residents can access the same standard of healthcare. A report issued ahead of Eastern Cheshire CCG's governing body meeting in May suggests that having one overall CCG for patients in Cheshire East and West will allow them to have access to care 'as close to home as possible and to the same standards and outcomes wherever they live'.

The plan is also to save money through reduced running costs and business expenses. Vale Royal and South Cheshire CCGs revealed earlier this month that they need to reduce a potential £10 million deficit, and Eastern and Western CCGs have also had their own financial challenges of late.

The four groups do have a set of alternative directions to consider if they decide not to merge into one Cheshire CCG, but these all clearly call for greater co-operation and further collaborative commissioning arrangements.

The individual CCG's will all be meeting to discuss the integration plans over the next month.

If approved the joining up of healthcare commissioning could happen by 2020..