Approval for Blackburn GPs to take responsibility for budgets (From Blackburn Citizen)

Approval for Blackburn GPs to take responsibility for budgets

2:49pm Monday 28th January 2013 in News

BLACKBURN with Darwen’s family doctors have officially been approved to take control of National Health Service priorities and budgets in the borough.

The national NHS Commissioning Board announced yesterday it has authorised the GP-led Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to plan and buy health services from April 1.

It will be responsible for health services including planned hospital care, rehabilitative care, urgent and emergency care, most community health services and mental health and learning disability services.

GP and primary care services will be commissioned by the Lancashire office of the new NHS Commissioning Board.

Darwen GP Dr Chris Clayton, CCG clinical chief, said: “We are delighted to be authorised with no conditions, which demonstrates the NHS Commissioning Board’s confidence in our ability to take on full responsibility for local health services from April.

“As clinicians, we are closest to the needs of people in the community and we are well placed to make decisions about local healthcare.”