The public body who commission healthcare services on the Isle of Wight has joined forces with five other groups across Hampshire and Southampton.
Now forming the NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), it is responsible for ensuring the right health service is provided in the right place and to the highest quality.
Moving from looking after just the Island’s population, the body now covers the healthcare of 1.66 million people.
CCGs across the country plan and buy healthcare services from local hospitals, GPs and other providers.
Agreed in July 2020
The merger was formally agreed between the six groups back in July 2020 when a business case and formal application to NHS England and NHS improvement was made.
The new CCG, came into being at the start of the month.
It hopes all areas can work together more closely across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Changes
Four areas have been highlighted as the focus of the changes:
- Increasing the focus and support CCGs provide to primary care and the development of primary care networks.
- Pursue deeper integration of health and care with councils building on existing arrangements
- Enable each Integrated Care Partnership (the Island is one) to thrive
- Create a single strategic planning, transformation, resource allocation and assurance function for across the CCG areas.
Working as one big CCG, it hopes, will allow it to overcome complexity, fragmentation and reduce duplication.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Alison Smith managing director of the Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
