By Richard Johnstone | 15 March 2013
All 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups in the NHS have been approved to take control of £65bn of health service spending from April, it has been announced. However, only around 20% have been set up without conditions.
The NHS Commissioning Board’s fourth and final wave of authorisations of CCGs in England established 48 of the new bodies, which will be led by GPs and will replace 152 Primary Care Trusts in commissioning health services.
However, only 43 have been agreed without qualification after meeting the 119 authorisation criteria in full. The remaining 168 groups have been established with conditions, including 15 that have been issued with legal directions. This means the commissioning board or neighbouring CCGs will exercise some functions for them.
Announcing the last set of approvals yesterday, the board said each CCG had undergone ‘rigorous assessment’ to ensure that they were ready to take on spending responsibilities. Each will plan and commission hospital, community health and mental health services of patients in their local area.
Dame Barbara Hakin, the board’s national director of commissioning development, said it was ‘a tremendous achievement’ to have all CCGs approved, with all of England’s more than 8,000 GP practices as members.
‘The vast majority of these 211 new organisations have demonstrated a very high level of achievement, and are well-prepared to take on the challenges of commissioning excellent, integrated health care, working with local partners.
‘But it is just the beginning – these new organisations will continue to need to develop and grow, bringing real, tangible benefits to patients and local communities.’
The board had a duty to ensure CCGs deliver their responsibilities, which it took ‘very seriously’, she added.
‘It has always been clear that some of the new organisations would be at different stages to others, often dependent on their previous commissioning activities.
‘CCGs will continue to receive this focused support from the NHS Commissioning Board and we are confident that they will be able to further develop their capabilities within the coming months.’
The board will now reassess the CCGs authorised in the first three waves, between December 2012 and February 2013, to determine if any conditions can be removed. Groups authorised in the fourth wave will be reviewed in June 2013.
Also today, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has moved to end the use of so-called gagging clauses in severence agreements when NHS staff leave organisations.
Concerns have been raised that the use of such agreements can stop managers and other staff members from raising concerns about poor care, and could deprive people of their legal right to whistle-blow.
Hunt said today the Department of Health would no longer approve severence deals that include such clauses.
‘The era of gagging NHS staff from raising their real worries about patient care must come to an end.
‘I’ve already been clear with the NHS that this is illegal – but now the NHS will get a clear message that they won’t even get these agreements signed off unless and until they are clear with staff about their legal right to blow the whistle.’
