The NHS is set to undergo a major shake-up this year, which will fundamentally change the way services work.
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.
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Last night, Wirral Council’s Partnerships Committee discussed what the change would mean for healthcare services in the borough.
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.
Simon Banks, chief officer of Wirral’s CCG, said he was preparing for the change to take place on July 1, but anticipates that may be moved back.
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.
But some believe the way Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), which will take on many of the current functions of CCGs, will work allows for far greater private sector involvement in the running of the NHS.
Speaking at last night’s meeting, Greg Dropkin, from the campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, said despite what the government has said the private sector will not be barred from ICBs.
Mr Dropkin said they will be able to sit on committees and provider collaboratives, where private companies and NHS trusts come together and are able to carry out delegated functions of ICBs with delegated budgets.
Labour councillor Paul Martin wanted to know how much flexibility ICBs will have to increase numbers as they see fit and potentially include participation from private healthcare providers.
Mr Banks outlined the structure of the boards and said that at the moment the Cheshire and Merseyside constitution had no provision for private sector representation on the ICBs.
Mr Dropkin said it was interesting to hear that there were no plans for private sector involvement in the ICB structure, but thought it would be a step forward to say that not only are there no plans for it but we are not going to do it.
He added that he would also like to see no private sector involvement in other organisations set to come into place in the summer including place-based committees, or provider collaboratives.
Mr Dropkin thought keeping the private sector out of the latter would be a bold move.
