A GROUP which will decide on the healthcare needs of 1.2million people will be set up today.

Five clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are forming a committee which will take decisions on commissioning services across south Essex.

NHS England is in charge of commissioning GP and other primary care services, but Thurrock CCG supports the delivery of these services, ensuring they are meeting our population’s needs and are of a high quality.

Specifically, the STP Joint Committee will commission and manage the contracts for:

  • Acute (hospital) services (NHS and independent sector)
  • NHS 111 and Out of Hours services
  • Ambulance services and patient transport services
  • Acute Mental Health services

It will make decisions on these issues on behalf of the 1.2million STP population, rather than individual CCG populations in Thurrock, Southend, Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford and mid Essex.

The committee, which will have an independent chairman, will sit alongside clinical commissioning group governing bodies “rather than being accountable to them”.

It will decide on contracting out a range of services including acute and integrated care services and ambulance and patient transport services.

It is thought the merger is aimed at saving money as the NHS attempts to make savings of £400million.

The plans were unveiled at the Mid and South Essex CCG’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan Joint Committee meeting which took place last Friday.

A spokesperson for Thurrock CCG said: "Working collaboratively in this way will allow us to have a stronger influence and this means better outcomes for patients.

"It also allows us to provide greater scrutiny and influence on any decision that affects our area.

"The STP Joint Committee will also play a role in decision making about learning disability services within the existing pan-Essex arrangements."

The STP Joint Committee will be holding a private meeting today (September 15) to sign an agreement, the exact details of which have not been disclosed.

If the agreement goes through, a Joint Committee meeting in public will be held in October to set out proposals for a formal public consultation.

Caroline Rassell, Lead Accountable Officer, STP Joint Committee, said: “As individual CCGs we will continue to make decisions about local healthcare services that work well for the people in our area.

"In April 2017 NHS England published directions to Castle Point and Rochford, Southend and Thurrock CCGs to participate in a joint committee made up of all five CCGs in mid and south Essex.

"The joint committee does not replace local responsibility – it is an opportunity for CCGs to work better together; to share successful local schemes that encourage people to keep well and out of hospital where possible and to secure the future of high quality health services that are able to continue to meet the needs of all communities.

"It is also an opportunity to discuss issues once and consistently. As clinically-led organisations, CCGs will continue to ensure health services are of high quality, safe, integrated and offer best value.

"While decision making around acute hospital services will take place jointly, CCGs will continue to function as separate entities and our vision to transform care in the local community will remain a high priority.”

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