The NHS is set to undergo a huge change in the way its services are delivered.
Currently, the NHS is organised into Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), which plan and buy healthcare services for their local areas. In Cheshire and Merseyside there are nine CCGs, one for each borough, but they are set to be scrapped in favour of just one ICS (Integrated Care System) which will commission NHS services across the entire region of more than 2.5m people.
The move to an ICS was set to take place in April, but the bill is still going through parliament meaning it is set to be delayed until July. It is hoped that consolidating the different commissioning groups into one will help to share ideas across the region, tackle health inequalities and improve the lives of the poorest fastest.