WARRINGTON is to pioneer changes in the NHS which will mean GPs having greater control over health services.
The town will be one of the first areas in the UK to introduce the reforms which mean GPs taking responsibility for commissioning healthcare and councils playing a greater role in public health.
As part of this, a new health and wellbeing board will be set up to promote more local control over health services and increased partnership working between the NHS, social care, public health and other services.
It is part of the NHS reforms recently confirmed in the Government’s response to the White Paper consultation, “Liberating the NHS legislative framework and next steps.”
The board will have an independent chairman who will act as an ambassador for the health and wellbeing of people in Warrington.
Responsibility for planning and buying health services will transfer from Primary Care Trusts to GPs. The board, which will replace the current Local Strategic Partnership health and social care board, will be run by the borough council. It will operate in shadow form alongside the PCT board until it ceases to exist in April 2013.
Board members will include councillors, GPs, members of the public and patient involvement organisation the 
LINk/Health Watch, plus directors of public health, adult social care and children’s services, neighbourhood representatives and the voluntary sector.
Health Watch will replace the LINk in April next year as the nationally recognised public and patient involvement organisation. A single GP consortium will cover the borough.
Cllr Roy Smith, (pictured) the borough council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “GPs in the area are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of local residents and to commission a healthcare system for Warrington which is effective, efficient and sustainable in the long-term.
“The government expects GP consortia to be in place from April 2012, so we will be ahead of the game in Warrington, with a chance to be part of and influence the GP commissioning programme nationally.”
Dr Rita Robertson, director of public health at Warrington PCT, said: “Warrington has already been making progress on this agenda and this puts us in a good position to make rapid progress across the borough.
“What we would hope to see now is a new system that will help us improve the health and wellbeing of local people and give them the power to influence how health services are run.”
