The two CCGs in Northamptonshire are considering becoming one, it has been announced.
NHS Nene CCG and NHS Corby CCG – which is the smallest in England, providing services for around 80,000 patients – have decided to explore the possibility of becoming one commissioning body from April 2020.
They are currently consulting local stakeholders on these plans.
The CCGs already share their executive body, headed by joint accountable officer Toby Sanders, who was appointed in November 2018.
In a document presenting their case for creating one Northamptonshire commissioning body, health bosses wrote they are considering the transition to one body in line with the long-term plan’s request for more ‘streamlined commissioning arrangements’ that will ‘typically involve one CCG per integrated care system’.
The move to one CCG will also ‘remove duplication and reduce organisational inefficiencies’ as well as ‘enable sustainable and affordable services at the same time as ensuring high quality standards’, the document said.
A report on finance, presented by the CCGs’ joint chief finance officer at a joint meeting on 18 June, said that ‘although the CCGs have achieved a small surplus in year, the underlying position for both CCGs is worse than planned heading into 2019/20.’
Last year, NHS England asked CCGs to cut administrative costs by 20% by 2020/21, and many CCGs are merging in a bid to achieve this.
As Healthcare Leader previously reported, six CCGs in South East London, two in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin area, three in North Yorkshire, and four in Cheshire are currently in talks to merge.
Eight CCGs in North West London are also in talks to merge into one organisation.
