Three CCGs in Birmingham and Solihull have launched plans to merge from April next year, forming the largest CCG in England.
The merger of NHS Birmingham CrossCity CCG, NHS Birmingham South Central CCG and NHS Solihull CCG would align commissioning boundaries with the regional sustainability and transformation plan.
The consultation document sets out three options:
Three CCGs in Birmingham and Solihull have launched plans to merge from April next year, forming the largest CCG in England.
The merger of NHS Birmingham CrossCity CCG, NHS Birmingham South Central CCG and NHS Solihull CCG would align commissioning boundaries with the regional sustainability and transformation plan.
The consultation document sets out three options:
- Forming a CCG federation where the commissioning bodies remain separate but share a ‘management team, governance and decision making’.
- Forming a single CCG for Birmingham, with NHS Solihull CCG remaining separate.
- Merging all three CCGs.
The document describes the third option as their preference because it ‘gives the best possible chance of achieving our strategic objectives’.
It says: ‘The arrangement would be stable and permanent, aligning to existing local authority health scrutiny and health and wellbeing board arrangements, in both Birmingham and Solihull respectively.’
A merged CCG would cover 1.3m people and be responsible for a budget of £1.7bn.
Despite the consultation closing on 18 August, the CCGs have already appointed an interim chief executive.
Paul Jennings has been appointed with immediate effect to support the CCGs as they form a new structure.
Of his appointment he said: ‘I am genuinely thrilled at being given the opportunity to play a leading role, as the CCGs enter a new era of commissioning and continue to develop the positive work that has been happening, to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Birmingham and Solihull.’
Rhod Mitchell, chair of the Birmingham and Solihull Health Commissioning Board added the appointment is ‘a major step forward, as we develop a sustainable future for health commissioning across Birmingham and Solihull’.
