Black Country health groups move forward with merger plan
Health groups which help to fund hospital services across the Black Country have formally agreed to apply to merge.
The four Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in the Black Country and West Birmingham – Dudley, Sandwell and West Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton – want to join together to form a single body.
Bosses say the merger will cut running costs, freeing up more cash to be spent on healthcare. CCGs pay for health services delivered in hospitals.
CCG governing body members voted to proceed with a formal application to NHS England and Improvement to merge in April.
The CCGs have already started working together and share a senior leadership team, headed up by a single chief executive, Paul Maubach.
He said: “I’m really pleased that we can continue to work together but in a more cohesive way and, in doing so, we can secure the best health care for our population across the Black Country and West Birmingham.”
The move has been backed by GPs in the region, with 90 per cent who took part in a consultation voting in favour.